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[Separate No. I 58] 



T. Turnbull's Travels from the United States across 
the Plains to California 



[From the Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin for 
1913, pages 151-225] 



Madison 

Published for the Society 

1914 






' r 'F u, 



T. Turnbull's Travels from the United 
States across the Plains to California 



Edited with introduction and notes by Frederic L. Paxson, and with typo- 
graphic arrangement by Reuben G. Thwaites 

Thomas Turnbull, whose journal of a trip from Chicago to 
Hangtown is now for the first time printed, was born in Chilling- 
ham, Northumberland, England, about 1812. His parents were 
of Scotch extraction, and were able to give him a solid educa- 
tion. In 1834 he emigrated from Berwick-on-Tweed, in com- 
pany with a brother, William, and William's wife. After a 
short residence in Canada, they moved to Chicago, but, ac- 
cording to family tradition, "thought it too poor and unde- 
sirable a place," 1 and went on to Joliet. Here they worked a 
lime-kiln until forced away by the ague. In 1838 they bought 
a quarter-section on the North Shore, in the vicinity of Glen- 
coe, Illinois, and here they were farming when the gold fever 
struck the West. It was impracticable for both brothers to 
emigrate again, because William had a family, but Thomas 
finally determined to go to California, and left Chicago on 
April 16, 1852. 

The journal is detailed, frank, and accurate. Thomas Turn- 
bull died in Glencoe in 1869, regretting, as he had regretted 
in 1853, that he had not found time to write up and expand 
his narrative. He wrote in a small leather-bound notebook 
(9cm. x 15cm.), covering ninety-seven pages with neat writing 



1 The data concerning Thomas Turnbull, and his associates mentioned 
in the journal, have been placed at my disposal by his grand-nephew, 
Mr. Alan J. Turnbull, of Glencoe, Illinois, to whom 1 am indebted for 
knowledge of the journal itself. 



[151] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

that is at times so minute as to tax the eyesight. He wrote 
in pencil, with lines that are still visible beneath the ink with 
which he later reenforced them. The manuscript, and the 
letter printed with it, have been preserved in the Turnbull 
family since the death of the writer, and the former has been 
deposited in the librarj r of the State Historical Society of Wis- 
consin by its owner, Mr. William J. Turnbull. 

The Turnbull diary is of interest to students of the overland 
trails, and to all who are interested in adventurous achieve- 
ment, because of its fresh originality. It has not been spoilt 
by later additions as most journals have been. It reveals the 
writer moving in the summer procession of 1852, touching 
hundreds of fellow-emigrants, meeting and re-meeting scores 
o£ old acquaintances, escaping the diseases and dangers of the 
wilderness, and finding time from camp to camp to record his 
impressions in the very words that have been preserved. The 
abbreviations, dashes, and unpunctuated stretches of the man- 
uscript bear testimony to the conditions under which he wrote. 
Dr. R. G. Thwaites and Miss A. A. Nunns have transcribed 
the diary, and made it more easily intelligible by means of 
type arrangements preserving carefully the ipsissima verba of 
the original. Few overland journals have been printed in as 
close adherence to the written form as this. 

The route taken by Turnbull was unusual in 1852. From 
Chicago to Kanesville (Council Bluffs, Iowa), he followed well- 
known roads. West of the Missouri, however, he took the 
Mormon Trail, instead of the Oregon Trail which followed the 
south bank of the Platte. As early as 1842 Fremont had found 
a well-beaten track along the north bank of the Platte. The 
Mormons had beaten it down still harder, in and after 1847, 
but few of the gold-seekers had gone this way. Even fewer 
have left known journals of this route, although there are 
dozens in print, kept by emigrants on the Oregon Trail. 2 



2 Among the printed descriptions or journals covering in whole or in 
part the trail along the north bank of the Platte, are H. J. Coke, A Ride 
over the Rocky Mountains to Oregon and California (London, 1852); 
J. S. Collins, Across the Plains in '64 (Omaha, 1911); M. Crawford, 
Journal of the Expedition organized for the Protection of Emigrants to 
Oregon [in 1862], in 37 Cong., 3 sess., Sen. Ex. Docs., p. 17; F. Fry, Fry's 

[152] 



Turnbull's Travels 

From a point opposite to Fort Laramie, on the North Platte, 
to the Red Buttes, near which the Oregon Trail cut across 
from the Platte to the Sweetwater, Turnbull's journal is al- 
most unique. Even the Mormons generally crossed the North 
Platte near Fort Laramie, and took up the route of the Ore- 
gon Trail. The north bank of the river here is broken country, 
with the hills and ravines coming close to the stream. By 
crossing to the south bank, there was easier going after the 
emigrants had finished with the Black Hills of Wyoming. 
Turnbull followed the north bank all the way. 

The "last crossing of the Platte" was later called North 
Platte Bridge, and still later became Casper, Wyoming. At 
this place Turnbull joined the Oregon Trail, and followed the 
usual route to South Pass, Green River, the City of Rocks, 
Humboldt Valley, and Carson Pass. He shows, as do many 
other diarists, a remarkable familiarity with the names of 
places, rarely misnaming anything. The topographical gossip 
along the trails was intimate, there were numerous guide- 
books and maps by 1852, and local itineraries and the spoken 
word added to the store of information. Only once does Turn- 
bull refer by name to a source of information, and this source 
(Pratt and Slater, p. 194 post), has not been Identified by the 
editor. By word of mouth details were passed along, until it 
was a careless or a stupid emigrant who missed the way. 

Turnbull traveled in a company, but he has not made it pos- 
sible to name its members or its captain, or to estimate its 
strength. "Mullions' old horse," that was driven into the 
head of Lake Humboldt, and abandoned there, is better known 
than any other associate. Old friends or neighbors, from Illi- 
nois or Canada, were often passed, and a few of them are re- 
membered in family tradition, by the surviving children of 



Travelers' Guide, and Descriptive Journal of the Great Northicestern 
Territories of the United States (Cincinnati, 1865) ; R. H. Hewett, Across 
the Plains and over the Divide. A Mule Train going from East to West 
in 1862 (New York, 1906); J. A. MacMurphy, "Thirty-three Years Ago." 
Journal of a Journey to California in 1853, in Transactions of the Ne- 
braska State Historical Society, iii, pp. 270-278; S. Parker, Journal of 
an Exploring Tour beyond the Rocky Mountains (Ithaca, 1838); G. W. 
Thissell, Crossing the Plains in 'J,9 (Oakland, Cal., 1903). 

[153 1 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

William Turnbull, who stayed at home. But Turnbull re- 
mained impersonal in the throng, taking his companions for 
granted. 

The journal is so clear that few editorial notes have been 
needed. These, where used, are designed to show the relation 
between Turnbull 's route and the great overland roads. The 
maps have been compiled by the editor from contemporary 
charts and the topographical sheets of the United States Geo- 
logical survey. 

Frederic L. Paxson. 



T TURNBULLS TRAVELS FROM THE U. STATES 

ACROSS THE PLAINS TO CALIFORNIA WHILE 

IN THE COUNTRY. 

We left Chicago on the 16 th April [1852] came on the Plank 
road stopt first night 18 mile 
next day very bad road stopt at Aurora 




left Aurora next morning 18 th and passed through Little 
Rock & Big rock and campd all night at J. Devines Tavern 
called by name Saminak [Somonauk] 

from S — H — to Sackinack very bad roads stopt their at 

[154] 



Turnbull's Travels 

Noon and fed — and stopt all night at Potters Tavern near 
Paupa Grove [Pawpaw Gr.] 

from P — G — we stopt all night in Lee county at S — Fris- 
bys Tavern — then 

next day to Sterling campd all night 21 st 12 miles from 
Dixons Perry on Eock River. 

Stopt at noon. Union Ville and fed at noon thence to Ful- 
ton City on the Mississippi camp 'd all night 22 d 




M0INE5 



left next morning at 8 OClock Crossed the MS on the 
Ferry Boat to Lyons 3 on the other side of the Missis- 
sippi! camped all night at Dewitt 

very bad road from Dewitt to Wapsipinicon crossed on the 
Ferry and went through Toronto and campd in a pice of tim- 
ber all night 

Sunday morning 25 th went on crossed Yankie run and 
camp d all night 10 miles from Jenkins Ferry on Wapsipinicon 
River 

left next morning and went on 3 miles beyond Tipton a 



•From Lyons to Council Bluffs Turnbull followed a wagon road that 
appears to be indicated on "A Township Map of the State of Iowa," 
lithographed in Philadelphia, 1851, for Henn, Williams, and Co., of 
Fairfield, Iowa. 



11 



[155] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

pretty large Village, the largest from Chicago only [except] 
Aurora. 

from Tipton we went on next day on the forenoon to Cedar 
River crossed by Ferry Boat very wide nearly as wide as 
the Mississippi it empties into the Iowa River and then both 
runs into the Mississippi 12 miles * from this Ferry 

28 th we went that day within 4 miles of Iowa City about 
2000 inhabitants I saw Stebbins 5 standing at a Door in Iowa 
City — he lives there he went with us to the Ferry about % 
mile he is going to California in the spring Tom Wellen 
Huntoon Pratt & the French boys passed through Iowa 

City 250 miles from the Council Bluffs day before us we 
came from Iowa City 16 miles and campd all night on the top 
of a Hill at Douglas old Log House 

29 th came on next day 14 miles and took a lunch again on 
the banks of the Iowa River 6 this is f ordable this is Noon 
tremenduous bad roads all the way from Naperville until we 
came to Fulton City on the Mississippi we had some little 
rain before we got as far as here but very cold cold enough 
to wear 2 Shirts & coat Deyres 7 Ponies are 4 days ahead of 
us at Iowa City. Campd last night at Douglas on the Pra- 
rie 

30 th left next morning and came through about 4 miles long 
of Timber the most timber & best we have seen in Iowa, a 
distance of about 200 miles from the Bluffs, eat at noon at 
R Manaths Tavern behind the Barn a very windy day no 
Hay to be got corn 5 Bits pr Bushel oats 50 cts and hard 
to get it at that no Hay for a day or two. nothing but old 
grass on the Prarie Sleughs not so good as they were when 



4 Turnbull was in error. The mouth of the Iowa River is more than 
sixty miles below the place at which he crossed the Cedar River. 

8 Stebbins was a former resident and tavern keeper of Gross Point, 
111.; Tom Wellen was reported to have been a sailor; Huntoon, Pratt, 
and the French boys were farmers living near Evanston, 111. — A. J. T. 

• In the vicinity of Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa. 

1 The Widow Dwyer's boys, who reappear frequently in the diary, 
were farmers living near the present site of Lake Bluff, 111. They had 
an idea that small "chunks of Canadian ponies" would stand the trip 
better than the larger native type, and accordingly went into Canada 
and brought back a number. — A. J. T. 

[156] 



Turnbull's Travels 

I left home, we are just now at noon 18 miles of a Prarie. 
to cross until we come to timber we crossed it and got their 
about 6 OClock, and Started a good Log fire and stopped all 
night and turned our Horses to eat the old grass in a Valley 
close by the timber very little Ploughing done here yet later 
than it is at Gross Point the greatest wind and rain I most 
ever saw all the way across rain and wind right in our face. 
[May 1 st ] we crossed the handsomest Prarie I have seen on our 
route from Iowa City fine rolling Prarie and roads as good as 
Plank road and I think a good deal better only a Sleugh once 
& a while but bad ones we passed a Town called Newton 
and camped under a high hill close by a creek 

we had some thunder and a very cold rain until about 8 
OClock Sunday morning it was so cold we could not stop 
all Sunday May 2 d the next River was a Ferry called Par- 
kers Ferry 8 miles from camp d over Skunk River the next 
we came to was Indian Creek & Bridge we could buy corn 
and Bacon cheaper at Newton 185 miles from the Bluffs than 
we could 100 miles back. Bacon 8 cts pr lb Corn 40 cts any 
one coming the route as far as we have come yet can find Corn 
or Oats mostly at every house not listen to what no man tells 
you about Hay or Corn being dear because the farther we go 
we find it the cheaper for we have paid before we came here 
as much as 5 sh . per bushel all that I have seen in Iowa is 7 
Deer as far as I have travelled Yet one Wolf passed Across 
the road about 20 Rod from & we could not get loaded soon 
enough we saw two Massausagin Snakes from 5 to 6 ft long 
on May 1 st . the French boys & Wellen stuck in a Sluegh & 
we came to it & their was a great many camp' d and they told 
us that there was boys from G. Point stuck here, so we made 
a Bridge and got over 

Sunday evening May 2 d we camp d at 4 OClock in the af- 
ternoon at the foot of a Hill near to a creek a little from Tom 
Mitchel on the top of the Hill the most of Iowa, as far as we 
have come yet is a beautiful rolling Country rather hilly in 
places but Timber scarce 

May 3 d . left Tom Mitchels camp ground Lightning Thun- 
der & rain mostly all night lay behind some bushes with a 
Blanket John and me. came on next day at noon within y 2 

[157] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 



mile of Desmois [Des Moines] rained part of the forenoon 
part pretty bad going on ace 1 , of the rain we crossed the Des- 
mois River about 3 OClock afternoon the Do [ditto] about the 
width of Chicago River the Town lies in a valley surrounded 
by Hills a vast Plain but a poor looking Town no Streets 
put in any shape the Fort was down at a point of the River 
but it is all pulled down Corn here 35 cts pr Bushel no more 
grass than you have where you live no farming much done 
it is the latest season ever was known here, at the head of 
the Town we cross Coon [Racoon] River on another Ferry 
we camp' d on the top of a Hill about one mile from the Ferry 



NEBRASKA 




took our Blankets and lay before a black oak fire we came 
on about 14 miles and turned out in the sleugh to feed grass 
about 3 inch long first good grass we have to corn 6 s pr 
Bushel. We crossed before noon North R. 12 miles from Des- 
mois Elk are here very plenty but we have seen none wild 
yet a good many tame in Desmois. 

May 4 th . 12 mile from Winterset county seat about 6 miles 
from Desmoines the Prarie are all green & pretty good feed 
in the Sleughs and valleys of 100 s . of Acres, we camp' d all 
night 6 miles from Winterset under a high hill in a valley, it 
is first patch of fall wheat fit to be seen over ground was at 
this camp 

May 4 th , we left 7 OClock in the morning passed 
through Winterset 6 miles and noon d 7 miles beyond one hun- 

[ 158 ] 



Turnbull's Travels 

dred and twelve miles from the Bluffs plenty of limestone 
and stone for building have a fine rolling country but grass 
not over 2 inches in the Sleughs we passed over 600 Head 
of cattle for California on waggons aaid driving together before 
noon 

May 5 th . no House from "Winterset — the Widow Dewyres boy 
& Ponies camp' d the night before us at the North River be- 
tween Desmoine & Winterset I saw his name when he 
camped wrote on a Tree & 100 s for by [besides] 8 him trav- 
elled across Prarie 26 miles from House to our encampment 
all night beside a grove & creek called Alcorns Travellers 
rest that made 32 miles that day 

next morning [6 th ] left camp 7 OClock for a 35 mile Pra- 
rie without house or timber passed one dead Ox & Horse 
laying by a Sleugh fine rolling Prarie saw day before noon 
about 300 head of cattle for by [besides] Horse teams I could 
not tell how many last night rained pretty hard 5 th . 6 th . this 
days travel. camp. d all night at a creek the worst to cross 
on each side for mud I ever saw we had to stop pretty near 
2 hours and cut brush to get through & some others about 
300 head of cattle crossed before us and that finished it we 
caught some fish, this Prarie is 35 miles from House to House 

Friday 7 th . May left the Creek at 7 OClock passed a tre- 
mendous lot of Elk horns on this 35 miles route on the road 
& saw them lying off on the Prarie we noon' d at the end of 
the 35 M route from House to House a handsome grove and 
fine rolling Prarie & a Creek and a good Spring close by the 
Creek gravel & sand bottom very cold water now we start 
for the afternoon across the Prarie for 15 Miles to an Indian 
Settlement May 7 th . grass very good Oats $1 pr B. Corn 
the same Hay 40 cts pr Hundred we got to this Indian Set- 
tlement about 5 OClock about 4 Houses in a small grove 
scattered along the Bank of the River called Indian Creek 
they have got a Scow here in the time of high water camp ' d 
on the Bank all night to this from noon is 15 miles from 
House to House. 



"Following a Scotch usage, Turnbull often writes "for by" when he 
means besides. 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

Saturday 8 th . left in the morning and crossed Indian Creek 
about one mile from the Camp a good many Scattering 
Houses in the grove of timber a pretty hilly country as far 
as we have come the next Settlement was mount Scott a 
very fine Grove & some good Farms. Corn 40 cts pr B. crossed 
the Eichnabotaneich, [Nishnabotna, W. Branch] by Ferry a 
small creek and camp' d one mile beyond all night 

next morning 9 th . travelled through Potomatona Village & 
Crossed Silver Creek by bridge & some handsome Farms it 
stands on a very handsome plain camp' d about 3 Oclock in 
the afternoon about 6 miles from Kainsville & 11 from the 
Bluffs, 

left in the morning & passed through CottsVille before we 
got to the Bluffs, Corn at the Bluffs 25 cts . pr B— Corn 
meal at Kainsville lb 60 cts the Bluffs commences before you 
get to Kainsville. Cottsville is about a mile long small log 
House Shingled & covered with mud, Kainsville such a rush 
of waggons & Horses, Cattle, & Mules, no one never saw in 
no fare [fair] in the Old country we stopt all night at Kains- 
ville. 9 and camp' d among the Bluffs. K — stands in a hollow 



•A ferry had been operated since 1849 from Kanesville, Iowa, to the 
foot of the bluffs across the Missouri River, where Omaha was founded 
in 1854. W. D. Brown was using a steam ferryboat here in 1853, but in 
1852 there was no important community on the west bank of the Mis- 
souri. Bellevue, at the lower end of the plateau known as Council 
Bluffs, some ten miles above the mouth of the Platte, and an equal dis- 
tance below Omaha, contained a trading post and a mission, and was 
the centre of white activity in Nebraska. Col. Peter A. Sarpy operated 
a ferry here, touching on the Iowa side a settlement known as Nebraska 
in 1849 and Council Bluffs in 1850. In 1853 the name Council Bluffs, 
formerly applied to several places in the vicinity of the plateau, was 
appropriated by Kanesville. The original Kanesville was on the eastern 
side of the Missouri in a gully in the bluffs, through which the Iowa 
trails reached the bottom lands, at the northern end of the bottom. 
It was five miles east of the river. The Mormons established the town, 
which was still an important station on their overland route in 1852. 
Cf. the Omaha and Vicinity quadrangle of the U. S. Topographical 
Map; Annals of Ioioa, 3 ser., v, p. 452; Transactions of the Nebraska 
State Hist. Soc, ii, p. 295; iv, p. 152; xv, p. 22, note 8; xvi, p. 69; 2 ser., 
ii, p. 37. 

[160] 



Turnbull's Travels 

surrounded by Bluffs, small round hills and pulleys for miles 
camp' d here on Monday night [also.] 

11 th May Boots, shoes, & clothing about the same as they 
are in Chicago, Corn 25 cts . pr lb. oats 30 cts Bacon 12y 2 cte '. Sales 
at Auction every hour in the day Flour, $16 pr Barrel on 
Acct of the Emigration $3.50 their is some of the greatest 
scoundrels I ever saw here I saw old Pinnerty at Kainsville 
from K — to the Moussouri Ferry the Upper Lower & Middle 
we went by the Upper Ferry 10 Miles from Kainsville, to the 
Missouri the handsomest Bluffs & Valleys I ever saw between 
Kainsville & Missouri Ferry, a handsome valley on the right 
& left for about 6 miles to the Ferry, the River is very 
wide about 600 yds. & Sawyers coming down in every direc- 
tion enough to capsize a Scow, they have 3 Scows, running 
all the time since the 20 th . April on the other side the Bluffs 
are about the height of the Banks at Taylors Pier some old 
Indian houses by the Ferry no Indians on this side of the 
River they are all on the other side of the River in their owtn 
Territory 10 here are the remains of the Old Fort Houses, 
mostly all pulled down on each side of the River, miserable 
for people to live in & thoroughfare of Waggons equal to 
"Whitsunbank, 

15 th . May came here on the 11 th . the water or River water 
is nothing but like the colour of clay & sand mixed the tim- 
ber around this Valley, near the River is all Cotton wood 
Tom "Wellen has left the French & has joined Huntoon & 
Reid we have joined a company here & the French boys are 
all here & a good many others from Southport & the Mehan 
Settlement if you want friends you need not look for them 
here if you knew them ever so well we came to the Ferry 
on the Missouri on the 11 th . & left it had to wait 4 days be- 
fore we got across and Ferry across all night for the company 



"The Potawatomi Indians agreed, by treaty of June, 1846, to cede 
the lands in western Iowa, given them at Chicago in 1833, and to retire 
west of the Missouri River. On February 24, 1847, the Iowa legislature 
created a county in the ceded district, giving it their name. The 
county was organized the next year, and reduced to its present size In 
1851. F. H. Garver, "History of the Establishment of Counties in 
Iowa," in Iowa Journal, vi, p. 409, and maps x and xi. 

[161] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

of us but the wind blew so hard that we had to give up about 
3 OClock in the morning I was all night Ferrying I had a 
hard one how the rest was you may guess 

the wind blew hard all next day so we got over on Sunday 
night with the last waggon 16 th . May & Camp' d all night on the 
top of the Bluffs, where the council was held the old houses are 
the ruins of 4 or 5 logs high a very cold night Indians all 
naked kept looking at a distance we kept watch all night 
called Nebraski Territory, PotatWatamies crossed Papaw 
[Papillon] Creek before stopping all night 11 

left next morning and came through a very handsome coun- 
try & crossed Elk horn by Ferry belonging to the Pawnees, 
cafmp' d t[w]o miles beyond Ferry, & 

next morning commenced on the Plains among the Paw- 
nees watered at Bridge Creek on the Forenoon passed Paw- 
nee Huts away about i/o mile across, to the left across Loop 
Fork Camp' d along side off the Piatt River 12 18 th tremenduous 
cold it has been very cold ever since we left only about 3 days 
& parts of days Dwyres Boys camp' d all night about 5 Rod 
from us & about 800 head of cattle cows & Waggons for Ore- 
gon & California 25 Miles Journey of 18 th on the Banks of 
the Piatt as wide as the Mississippi in places, Cotton wood 
plenty on the Banks grass about 6 inches long 

19 th . of May nooned about 3 m . from the Piatt pretty low 
land until noon Villages along on the hills of Indians built 
with sods before we crossed Shell Creek, before noon 19 th on 
a Bridge there are houses on the left of the Piatt all along 
Villages of Sods to be seen on every mountain camp' d all 
night about y 2 miles from the Piatt on the Prarie ourselves 
alone 



11 An elaborate map of Nebraska and Dakota, summarizing the ob- 
servations of U. S. exploring parties to 1856, was drawn by Lieut. G. K. 
Warren of the Topographical Engineers, and printed by the U. S. Sen- 
ate, 35th Cong., 1st sess. The trails along the Platte River have been 
described by Albert Watkins in J. S. Morton, Illustrated Hist, of Ne- 
braska (Lincoln, 1905-13, 3 vols.), i, pp. 73-94. 

12 The numerous trails from the Missouri River, across the peninsula 
between that stream and the Platte, merged into the main trail near 
Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska. 

[162] 



Tumbull's Travels 

left on [blank in Ms.] and went about 6 miles until we came 
to the Ferry called Loup Fork 13 and took our waggons over, 
on the evening by 2 Scows went down below and took our 
horses across about x /2 mne deep & verv swift current about 
50 yds wide at some places 60 Rod, $2.50 pr waggon & SO^ 3 . 
pr piece for horses, their is a ford below about 18 miles 
some went to ford but our company did not go this belongs 
to the Pawnees but half breeds rent it & has to pay them 
$1000 for the season so you can see the number of teams the 
[that] has to cross for about 2 or 3 months to make it pay the 
man for the use of it. Missouri (about 20 men kept) Loup 
Fork (about 8 kept) some little timber close by it & a few 
logs thrown up to shelter them from the wind there was a 
company attackted here by Indians and they fought 2 days — 
some killed on both sides 9 Indians they say were killed & 
2 white men badly wounded one killed we met some begging 
but we passed & would not give them any thing some white 
men gave them a paper & said doiit give them any thing but 
pass on & not give them any thing on this side are the 
Sioux on ace* of the River we had to stop here 14 until the 

21 st . left in the mornng 9 OClock came on the 18 th . a ter- 
rible cold rain met a man that lost 6 Horses 40 miles ahead, 
we passed one grave about 3 ft. long now buried just before 
we camp' d saw a good many Buffaloe sculls, caimp d all night 
close by some high hills about 1 mile from Loup Fork had 
some small willows for fire passed next morning before noon 
2 Wolves about 5 Rod from the road 23 miles to day plenty 
of water & good grass "Wells & Sleughs the River Loup Fork 
all along for about 2 miles a handsome plain and some places 
high hills sandy camp' d all night on a handsome plain & Creek 
all through it Sunday afternoon 23 d 4 Ock good grass plenty 



13 The Pawnee made the Loup Fork of the Platte their chief residence, 
and were a source of constant nervousness to emigrants along the trail. 

u After crossing the Loup Fork, Turnbull kept close to the south bank 
of that river for two days, and then returned to the Platte near the 
head of Grand Island. His route was surveyed by Captain Dickerson 
in 1856, in pursuance of an act of Congress, February 17, 1855, for the 
construction of a territorial road from Council Bluffs to New Fort 
Kearney (sic). It is shown on G. K. Warren's map. 

[163] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

water [and] wood along the Fork River 1 mile pretty warm 
day people camp' d all along plenty Buff[alo] tracks going to 
the River 

24 th . passed two dead Horses saw two Antelope some 
very bad Sleughs road sandy before noon plenty Buffalo 
tracks as high as a ridge of Corn from 15 to 20 tracks wide a 
fine looking country 4 miles from Fork, afternoon travelled 




through sand hills & sand pretty heavy road from Loup Fork 
Ford road where it comes into the Ferry Road saw a young 
Buffalo lying forequarters & heads of numbers camp' d all 
night among the Sand hills grass 4 inches high plenty of 
holes dug for water & a good stream at the camp 24 th . fore- 
noon passed 2 graves buried 1849, afternoon crossed Wood 
River and camp' d 5 miles beyond on a high gravel & black 
muck banks the handsomest piece of Prarie mostly ever I 
saw between the River & a large grove of timber running 
straight along the Prarie about 2 miles wide a beautiful ev- 
ening & good valley grass 

25 th . left next morning 7 OClock, while eating breakfast 
a large black wolf passed about 20 Rod from us Left at half 

[164] 



Turnbull's Travels 

past 5 OClock forenoon passed on Grave 1851. 2 waggon 
tires & a great deal of large Iron where we touched the 
Piatt River, and a good well of water coming out of Gravel 
& sand the first day that i could call warm since I left left 
the place where we touched the Piatt about 100 yd s running 
parallel good clear stream a fork of Piatt is nothing but" 
sand and mud mixed like the most of the Rivers in the west 
W. S. W. to day at noon afternoon very hot come along 
within 2 miles of the Piatt timber for wood Willow Bushes 
camp' d 5 OClock, first night for Musquitoes 

26 th . Left morning at 6 OClock saw I Antelope plenty of 
ground Hogs & Gulls a handsome plain Dwyers Boy was 
about two rod from us afternoon we passed one cow with 
a libel [label] on her [that] any one wants her can have 
her we touched within about 4 OClock 4 Miles of St. Joe 
road a great many teams left it & crossed the Piatt opposite 
us. 15 cool forenoon very hot afternoon. 

27 th . left us 6 Oclk crossed a great many different places 
to cross let down the waggons by holding on a rope behind 
and pulling them in front same way & Horses plenty of Buffa- 
loe heads & dung made fire to cook by this morning touched 
the Piatt River about 12 OClock 

28 th [The river is] one mile wide mixed with sand crossed 
Elm Creek nooned about -one mile below [where] we touched 



"Fort Kearny, opposite which Turnbull arrived on May 26, was es- 
tablished for the defense of the Oregon emigrants on the south side of 
the Platte, near the head of Grand Island, under an act of Congress of 
May 19, 1846. It was originally named Fort Childs, but soon became 
known as New Fort Kearny, in distinction from an earlier Fort Kearny, 
built on Table Creek (later Nebraska City), in 1846, and named for 
Col. Stephen W. Kearny. The modern spelling of the name is due to 
an erroneous usage that has become statutory. At or near Fort Kearny 
the trails from Westport, Independence, and St. Joseph reached the 
great Oregon Trail, that followed the south bank of the river. Turn- 
bull uniformly speaks of this as the St. Joe road. Albert Watkins has 
an excellent "History of Fort Kearny" in Transactions of the Nebraska 
State Hist. Soc, xvi, pp. 227-267. Fremont had in 1842 recommended 
Grand Island "as the best point for a military position on the Lower 
Platte." Report, 78. There is a large map of the Oregon Trail accom- 
panying F. G. Young, "The Oregon Trail" in Quarterly of the Oregon 
Hist. Soc, i, p. 339. 

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the Piatt grass very scarce low land afternoon left at 2 
OClock not very hot, touched the Piatt again about 4 OClk 
camp d all night on the Banks of the Piatt Buffaloe Heads & 
horns lying in every direction Waggons, Cattle, & Horses as 
far as you can see on South side of the Piatt, the St. Joe Road 
is on the other side a handsome flat country for miles on 
each side of us & then pretty high mountains on each side 
banks high Grey Wolves are here at night plenty 

Satfurday] 29 th . forenoon passed one Grave buried 26 th . 1852. 
Aged 23, passed a good well about 6 ft. Buffaloe Dung lying 
as thick as it is in your yard at home & bones laying all over 
some killed this spring, very smooth road in places other 
places a little too sandy 16 nooned about one mile from the 
Piatt, we passed [in the] forenoon over 1000 head of cat- 
tle for by Horses & Mules the best cattle, & Horses I mostly 
ever saw, afternoon passed one grave 1851. came through 
heavy sand about 2 miles among some high hills the rest of 
the road some sandy 

30 th . about 1000 Cattle within 3 miles Horses, & mules, Sun- 
day forenoon passed along some very high hills of sand road 
pretty deep & part of it very good we saw 7 Buffaloe on the 
top of a hill we followed but they ran passed 5 men dig- 
ging a grave an old Lady died in Cholera a great many are 
dying on the St Joe Road, we have been in sight for a good 
many days they are crossing the Piatt in all directions a 
great many Buffaloe has been killed this spring we nooned 
about 5 Rod from Carson Creek, very hot all day grass very 
good Buffaloe grass about the same as the 2 d . Crop of red 
top about 4 in . long afternoon left at 1 OClock, passed or 
touched the Piatt about 3 oclock, passed one grave & lots of 
OX Teams, some Buffaloe new killed by hunters belonging to 
companies high hills all along of sand on each side of this 
wide River, camp d Sunday night 5 OClock 

31 st . left morning 5% crossed Mud Creek North Fork. 17 



18 Fremont passed over this road on his return in 1842, and reported 
it as good and frequently used. 

"The St. Joe road followed the South Fork of the Platte, going 
around O'Fallon's Bluff, then crossed the South Fork, and reached the 
North Fork at Ash Creek. R. G. Thwaites, Early Western Travels 
(Cleveland, 1904-07), xxi, note 58; xxx, note 54. 

[1661 



Turnbull's Travels 

passed one Buffaloe laying dead & a great many others that 
had been lately killed 3 dead Wolves, came along side of 
the Piatt, until about 9 OClock, then turned up a valley be- 
tween high sand hills & then down to the valley i4 m . from the 
Piatt, afternoon left 1 OClock saw 5 Buffaloe on the top of 
a sand hill Afternoon travelled through sand & over hills & 
down valleys of sand to get round a point of the Piatt, where 
the Banks are very high hills of sand about 1 Hour as bad 
as the "Widow Traders, we passed across 2 very fine brooks 
that comes out of the Mountains from Springs stop* about 4 
OClock to let our Horses feed took some mush & went on 
agaiu a little, hot but a good wind, plenty of small willow 
bushes, after 4 oCLK went through some very high hills 
passed a Dubuque Co. of 80 "Waggons & camp d . % miles 
from Kiver. 

Tuesday June 1. left camp at 6 Oclock left 7 Oclock 
come through a plain Sandy very good road & plenty 
of good springs water, Creeks, crossing the road Buffaloe 
Bones, & dung laying as thick as it can lay nooned about 
y 2 Mile from the River no timber on the road to Fort Lar- 
amie for 200 Miles, afternoon left at 1 OClock, on the other 
side of the River, some high sand hills covered with scrubby 
trees the St Joe travellers has to go behind these on Ace*, 
of the Bluffs running down to the edge of the River, the Piatt, 
& also all these Rivers from the Missourie are all quicksand 
Bottom & half mud a little Indian meal soon settles it good 
healthy water Bluff Streams are all clear springs from the 
Valleys between these mountains, Buffaloe grass good & 
seems to be as hard feed as tame grass, passed one waggon 
cut spokes all out for fire wood Buff aloe dung lying in 
every direction it makes a grand fire part of a Buffaloe 
taken & the rest left. Bones lying all over, eamp d . about 
Y2 mile from the River, on a clear Creek running from a 
Spring 

2 d . left 6 Oclock, went, through some high sand hills and 
passed over some brooks all springs from the sand saw some 
part of a Buffaloe that had been killed lately passed close [clothes] 
thrown away on the Road Bed Close, Bags, Saddle, Irons, 
both heavy & Light of all kinds nooned about mile from the 

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Piatt, grass very short on Ace 1 , of so many teams, afternoon 
left at 2 oClock, passed a great many Fires, Irons of Waggons, 
Wheels, ground dogs killed by people passing the whole 
Plains dug up by them camp' d all night on the banks of the 
Piatt. 5 Oclock passed one grave 1849, from where I could 
not tell, we eamp' d all night good Buff aloe grass & plenty 
water 

Thursday, 4 th . [3d] touched the Piatt, different times and 
then crossed a Creek from thence camp ?d nooned at Dry 
Creek 30 ft wide all sand no water afternoon passed 2 other 
sand creek or dry afternoon went through some very high 
sand hills some small trees on the tops of them the hand- 
somest crevices cut by water 40 to 50 ft deep the grandest 
appearance I mostly ever saw some high pinnacles looks al- 
most like stone also some very handsome shell rock the 
sand hills are as hard as iron on the track, after that we 
passed 2 graves one Woman buried 52. Buried 1851, and 1 
young man buried 23, 1852, after that road sandy until ev- 
ening, about the same as you have got on the ridge by smiths 
camp ' d about % mile from the Piatt, last night very cold we 
can see the Chimney Rock & Scotts Bluffs from here to night 
& a great many other curiosities a large heap of stones just 
the shape of a Castle a great distance from here the Chimney 
can be seen 1 day before you get to it & one day after you pass 
it & so before you have sight of it. 

Friday morning 4 th . left 7 Oclock road middling sandy 
some Bluffs touched at the Piatt for water also some sleughs 
plenty water nooned about % mile from Piatt very short 
grass middling warm 69 miles from Fort Laramie left at 
noon 2 Oclock a first rate road some places a little sandy dust 
very hot camp d aill night on the banks of the Platte about 
2 miles from the road by appearance about y 2 mile to Chim- 
ney Rock on the other side of the Piatt the river is pretty 
wide or I should have gone over to see it it is covered with 
names all over from all parts I should think by appea[ra]nce 
it is not over 14 mile from St. Joe Road they say it is over 
10 miles there are many romantic scenes along these Bluffs, 
beyond these ahead of us we can see, Scotts Bluffs, the Court 

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Turnbull's Travels 

House, Chimney Rock, 18 all the same ridge of hills pretjty 
cold last night 

5 th . left this morning forenoon touched the Piatt once 
handsome grass short middling cool, saw one dead Ox. 
nooned about y 2 mile from Piatt these romantic places are 
just similar to buildings & fortifications travelled Saturday 
afternoon until about 4 OCloek camp' d on the Banks of the 
Piatt opposite to some half breed wigwams on the other side 
of the Piatt, they buy furs from the Hunters & take them to 
St. Louis we are still in sight of Chim ne y Rock, these Hills 
of sand on the St Joe. side appear like rocks they look like 
buildings & fortifications built with hands. 

Sunday 6 th . last night it lightned thundered & rain' d until 
morning very cold packers lying on the bank all night no 
fire, these are [of] the same range [as] Scotts Bluffs rain be- 
gan 1 Ock>k and rained until 6 at night very cold rain 
by Monday morning until 10 Oclock, followed the Bank, 
passed one dead Ox one Horse left Pole evil taken along by 
one of the same cop y . road very good nooned on a flat Close 
by the Piatt, 3 Islands of small Cotton "Wood, grass pretty 
good afternoon passed one dead Ox. one grave 1851. some 
large hills of rock limestone & lime slacked as good as burnt 
drifted hills of sand & handsome hills of grass camp' d all 
night on the banks of the Piatt, lots of cotton wood all along 
the Banks & a great many Islands in the River Road very 
good plenty water grass not very good a great many 
prickly Pears on these Praries 

Tuesday 8 th . left at 6 OCloek, passed one Creek passed 
one trading station made of wigwam on the other side of the 
Piatt plenty of water Bushes all along on the River & hills 
rocks and sand plenty drift wood & Buntons 19 road all sandy 
middling good some pretty large Trees along the Banks of 
the River nooned about 11 OCloek afternoon passed one 
grave Marked James B. Cox old graves, road pretty deep 



18 There are good photographs of Court House, Chimney Rock, and 
Scott's Bluff in Morton, Nebraska, i, pp. 82-96. 

'"Bunton, meaning unknown. Murray gives bunt as a sort of fire- 
wood; Century Dictionary gives buntons as cut timbers for framing a 
mine. 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 



sand from here to Fort Laramie got opposite the Fort about 
4 OClock, 20 it stands in a valley surrounded by hills cov- 
ered by small cedars, the Laramie Fork runs into the Piatt 
here the St. Joe Koad crosses the Fork & we still go along 
on this side of the Piatt about 80 Rods here apart we can 
cross this Ferry if we wish, to go on the St Joe route it is a 
wild looking River here runs very swift at the opposite side 
of the Ferry there is a Blacksmith & waggon makers shop the 
Garrison & Houses are built with Spanish Brick number about 
12 Houses the Garrison is about 2 miles from the Ferry Hun- 
dreds of Ponies, Horses, Oxen, Mules, & "Waggons around here, 







FQH7 LAKAMiE. 
TO GKEEN RWEK 

Ce)w y MING 




UTAH 



COLORADO 



some great mountains make there appeance before you get to 
the Fork some distance of[f] apparently covered with 
snow on the top some of the Comp^. went to leave letters 
at the Fort, lots of Indians camp' d on each side of the Riv- 



*• Fort Laramie, long a trading post, and bought as a military station 
under the act of 1846, is on the left bank of the Laramie River about 
two miles above its mouth. Its location is shown on the Hartville 
quadrangle of the Topog. Map of the U. S. There is a sketch of the 
old fort in J. C. Fremont, Report (Washington, 1845), p. 40. A good 
description is in E. Bryant, What I saw in California (New York, 
1849), p. 108. Notes upon the history of the fort are in Thwaites, 
Early Western Travels, xxx, p. 60, xxi, p. 181; and in H. H. Bancroft, 
Hist. Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming (San Francisco, 1890), p. 683. 
The usual Mormon Trail crossed the Platte here, but Turnbull kept to 
the left bank. Bancroft, Utah (San Francisco, 1890), p. 254 (map). 



[170] 



TurnbuH's Travels 

ers, Piatt & Laramie Fork, we left about 5 Oclock afternoon 
& camp' d about 4 miles from the Ferry close by the Piatt 
handsome valley good grass & plenty dry cottonwood for fire, 
handsome hills from the smallest to pretty large ones covered 
with Cedars at the Fort Hard bread $13 pr C. Loaf bread 
worth 10 cts . in Chicago 60 cts . here Tobaco 6 s pr lb. Vinegar 
$2 pr Gallon Tea $2 pr lb. every thing very dear wind 
blows pretty hard all day sun pretty hot nothing extra 

Wednesday 9 th . pretty cold last night and has been ever 
since we left Chicago some nights as cold as fall nights the 
drums beat this morning before we started came along the 
Banks of the Piatt then crossed the mountains the handsomest 
I ever saw covered with Pine Trees, Rocks & sand of all shapes 
& forms, up hill & down hills & round gulleys, 21 passed good 
wagons, & 'Wheels cut up for no purpose one of our comp 7 . 
left 1 Set of Harness, trowsers, Coats, Shirts, strewed all 
along this morning we leave the Piatt for 80 m . passed 3 
watering places before 11 OClock forenoon, pretty good 
grass along these Banks & gulleys very smooth Road but 
rather Rocky in places but no hills worse than Garlands much 
afternoon left at 1 OClock passed up & down some very high 
pitches of hills one treemendous pitch all round stone pretty 
rough & Hilly until about 4 OClock passed a good many 
waggons, broke up passed one spring crossed on Creek 
found a spring about y 2 past 6 Oclock, opposite a very large 
hill covered by small cedars, hilly all through to day, sandy 
& pretty good a great many Horses & Cattle are here to 
night middling warm to day good wind 

Thursday 10 th . pretty cool last night left camp 7 Oclock 
& came to a handsome Creek of spring water about 40 Rod 
from where we stopp' d all night 9 th . after that we came 
along a very sidling hill & thence up a hill of rolling stone 
short but steep after that came to a fine rolling Prairie 



a There are few streams from the north emptying into the Platte be- 
tween the forks and the Sweetwater. The watershed on this side la 
close to the river and turns the rainfall to tributaries of the Niobrara, 
Cheyenne, and Powder rivers. Numerous streams, rising in the Black 
Hills, as the Laramie Range was often called, flow from the south into 
the Platte. 

12 [ 171 ] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

hills all around next to a Creek about 10 Oclock passed 
some of the greatest mountains of curiosity all rocks & Scat- 
tering Pines next we came into a large valley for some ways 
passed 1 Dead Ox, I tired touched the Piatt 22 about 12 OClock 
grass very poor a great many teams some Indian Traders, 
& Indian camp on the banks of the Piatt whiskey 25 pr 
Dr[ink] went up the River 2 Miles camp' d 4 Oclok after- 
noon, grass middling good & plenty water very hot to day 
a middling wind in the afternoon we had a thunderstorm 
about 5 OClock lasted about 1 Hour fine evening the St 
Joe Teams are in a constant string on the other side of the 
Piatt, the large mountains with snow on Top among the 
Black Hills, on the St Joe side at Fort Laramie seems not to 
be far from Laramie we have travelled for 2 days over hills 
& down gulleys & we lay just opposite it to night, pretty 
cool to night 

Friday 11 th . left at 6 OClock came to one Creek Spring 
water through a rolling part touched Piatt, about 10 OClock 
passed some large hills of rocks & gravel between these lyes 
a great many curiosity of sand & Clay dug by the water in 
some season of the year, mounds of sand & rock around & 
inside of it all shapes good wind not very hot roads mid- 
dling good sandy no timber near at noon Buff aloes dung 
plenty afternoon left Camp at 2 OClock followed the Piatt 
about 1 Hour went down the Piatt & watered thence fol- 
lowed a glen & passed over some hills black & Freestone & 
down some very steep ones among loose stone & rock very 
barren no bushes only on the Banks of the Piatt touched 
the Piatt again about 4 OClock passed one cow left, killed 



"The North Platte was crossed at various places between La Prele 
Creek and the Red Buttes. Following the disastrous Powder River 
expedition of 1866 Fort Fetterman was established at the La Prele 
crossing. Fort Casper had already been established at North Platte 
Bridge. Margaret I. Carrington, Ab-sa-ra-ka Home of the Crows: Be- 
ing the Experience of an Officers Wife on the Plains (Philadelphia, 
1869), (a fifth ed., 1879); Frances C. Carrington, My Army Life and 
the Fort Phil. Kearney Massacre (Philadelphia, 1910), (in each of 
these is a useful map of the upper Platte, drawn originally to illus- 
trate the report of General H. B. Carrington which is printed in 50 
Cong., 1 sess., Ben. Ex. Docs., p. 33, serial 2504). 

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Turnbull's Travels 

one Badger among the rocks, passed some handsome rolling 
Country grass very poor mostly all sage, we had to travel 5 
Hours before we found grass, not very good camp on the 
Banks of the Piatt the wind blew tremendous crossing these 
hills for about two Hours so as you could hardly see the 
Horses for dust, pretty cool last night knats pretty bad, 
saw some Antelope playing themselves this morning 

Sat. 12 fine morning, left Camp 7 Oclock, stopt & fed 
about 10 Oclock, good grass y 2 mile from Piatt, passed 2 
Oxen left tired one Buff al ° killed part tatken away road 
pretty heavy sand stopt and touched the Platte 9 Oclock 
Stop*, on the top of a very high hill at 12 OClock took the 
Horses over the Hill, about 1 Mile to the Piatt to the water 
then began to climb some very high barren hills, & down some 
very high pitches passed an old Ferry, then ascended some 
pretty high hills & down some very high pitches, a foot path 
on the edge of the Piatt passed another Ferry about 1 Hour 
from that a very heavy sand all day as bad as the sand 
banks between the Wind Mill & Gross Point & gulley terrible 
to look at, camp' d 6 Oclock on a bend of the Piatt, pretty 
middling grass no grass for 4 mile back hardly on Ace*, of 
"Wild Sage, pretty high wind to day dust enough plenty 
white wood we come along side of the St Joe Road this af- 
ternoon we have not seen it for over 100 Miles on Ace*, of high 
mountains we are about 100 Rod from it they have the 
Cholera among them & has had for some time back passed 
about 30 Men, right here bound for the States from Oregon 

Sunday 13 th . pretty cold last night about 10 OClock hundred 
of Indians & Ponies, the best drest Indians I have seen since 
I left Chicago, money in bag fulls they have been over the 
Mountains killing Buff aloe they are loaded with Buff aloe meat 

covered with beads & all kinds of rings the or Sioux s 2 

full bred pups of the Fox breed came to our camp & stopt all 
day 100 s of teams are passing on both sides of the River, 
within speaking of each other 2 first rate waggons are stand- 
ing here on an Island on the edge of the Platte sage here 
kills out all the grass, Alkali is here all over the Country a 
large grove of timber all along the Piatt here, Started from 
Camp 1 OClock, came over some very high hilLs of sand & 

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some of it very deep and hilly grass rather scarce in places 
camp' d on the Banks of the Piatt last night rained some 
plenty of fire wood 

Monday 14 th . left camp 6 Oclock came up 1 pretty long 
hill & some others middling steep touched the Piatt twice 
passed 2 flats of good grass before 10 OClock stop 1 , at 11 
OClock on a large flat on the Banks of the Piatt, left at 1 
OClk. & commenced to climb a very high hill all pretty 
heavy sand this forenoon, one dead Horse, some cattle left, 
one dead ox. 2 Graves some pretty deep sand some mid- 
dling good grass pretty bad, came to the Upper Ferry of the 
Piatt about 4 Oclock this is where all the St Joe teams cross, 
called the Upper Ferry 23 , no road on that side any farther 
they crossed before we come 300 teams & lots more were wait- 
ing for a chance $5 pr team $1 pr yoke for Cattle $y 2 for a 
man & Horse they swim the most of their Oxen here they 
swam some Horses here today & drown' d some men 6 Scows 
are kept here by French & Negroes there are 2 Roads after 
you leave the Ferry up a high hill, one straight ahead we kept 
the River road & camp ' d 4 Miles on the Banks of the Piatt on 
the opposite side of the River we can look at the Snow on the 
top of the mountains it is very cold this evening cold enough 
to wear a thick coat, on the right hand road a lake about 4 
Miles, on this road this is the handsomest travelled road & 
widest i most ever saw a little sand on top limestone & Sand- 
stone below forenoon 9 Oclock stopt & fed on pretty poor 
grass, Alkali in all the water along it is said to have killed 
100 s of Horses & Cattle a distance of 22y 2 Miles to a place 
called Willow Springs this mornings travel is rolling & Plain 
some water here about 8 Miles from Ferry about 10 Oclock 
come to a spring & Lake called Alkali, or poison spring good 
grass hear, here we nooned left at 12 Oclock & passed 
through Alkali springs the ground almost covered with it no 
good water for about 4 Hours drive until we came to "Willow 



* Platte Upper Ferry, which became North Platte Bridge, was later 
an important point because here the Mormon and Oregon trails merged 
as one. It was a few miles east of the Red Buttes. About 1865 Fort 
Casper was erected here. 

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Springs 24 , the road touches it at the bottom a valley, if you 
want to have the pure stuff come up the Hill, this is the best 
Road & handsomest i ever saw about 60 yds wide this region 
of the Country is full of Alk[ali] passed 6 Dead Cattle 2 
Graves 1 Antelope camp' d 6 oclock, good Buff aloe grass 
about 1 Mile from the road a Spring Creek running through 
it fine rolling land to day but barren & Sandy covered by 
Sage, only in some places, between the Mountains 33 Miles, 
to day on Ace*, of Poison water & scarcity of grass, pretty 
cool to night 

Wednesday [Tuesday] 15 th . morning left 7 oclk come 
through pretty level ground very heavy sand, passed across 
one Creek, passed a good many Alkali Ponds Saleratus 
Lake west of road on each side of the road turned of [f] the 
road about 4 Mile above the Devils Gate about 2 Miles of 
the Road went to the Sweet water Banks & Swam our Horses 
on to an Island good grass & very hot day nooned here for 
3 Hours left afternoon 1 OClock, come to Independence 
Rock 25 these Rocks stand on a level piece of ground a large 
Valley of grass all round surrounded by mountains of Rocks 
all shape & Formes that man could think off these Independ- 
ent Rocks are just the same as built from the surface not a 
tree on it a terrible hard kind of Rock just about the same 
as ruff cast 

Independence Rock on Acct of its peculiar shape & magni- 



** Emigrants generally left the Platte after crossing Poison Spider 
Creek, and followed tributary valleys until they reached the Sweetwater 
near Independence Rock. Their journals commonly call attention to 
the extensive deposits of saleratus which covered the ground in this 
vicinity and poisoned the water. T. T. Geer, Fifty Years in Oregon 
(New York, 1912), p. 139; Coke, A Ride over the Rocky Mountains, 
p. 167; K. E. Blood (ed.), Memoirs of a Forty-niner (New Haven, 
1907), p. 15. 

* Independence Rock is almost invariably mentioned as a place where 
emigrants registered their names on the outcropping rock. It re- 
sembles, in the words of Wyeth, "a bowl upside down" and had already 
received its name before he saw it in 1832. It is some eleven miles 
above the mouth of the Sweetwater River, on its left bank. G. L. Holt, 
New Map of Wyoming, 1888; J. B. Wyeth, "Oregon" in Early Western 
Travels, xxi, p. 53. 

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tude if nothing else is quite a curiosity. It is entirely bare 
laying upon the top of the ground in an open plain, near S. W. 
[Sweetwater] At the southeast corner & the north side it may 
be easily ascended, & 1000 s no doubt, have been upon its top with- 
in the last year or 2 Almost this entire stone is covered with 
dates & the names of visitors painted thereon with red, white 
black etc. About lat 42° 30' 15" [Situated on] North side of 
Sweet Water 6 or 700 yds long from 120 to 150 yds wide 
Hard Granite Sweet Water forms its way through the Dev- 
ils Gate 400 ft high the best view is from the east end of it 
into which you can go some distance 20 

a little way above we crossed the Sweet Water by Ford 27 , raised 
the Waggon Boxes about 1 Foot & got through safe there was 
about 10 logs made into a Crib a man lived there & had a tent & 
kept Groceries, charged $1 pr Waggon 100 s of Horses, Cattle, 
& Mules were here & a little ahead af [t]er leaving the Ford we 
went along above the River, tremendous mountains of Rocks 
all round the next w T e passed was the Devils Gate where the 
Sweet Water runs through a small gap, a tremendous height 
the Rocks seem to be perpendicular at the head of the D G. 
to the right is a handsome valley of grass through which the 
Sweet water runs but instead of going to the right on ace*, of 
Teams as far as your eye could carry you on this vast plain 
we turned to the left up a creek that runs into the Sweet 
Water close by the D. G. about 2 m . & found good grass & 
plenty Buff dung & Sage for fire camp' d 6 Oclock 

left at 4 Oclk on Thursday morning 17 th . went up round a 
bend on the flat by the Sweet Water, about 4 m . from the D. 
Gate high Rocks all along on the one side covered with small 
Cedars stuck in the crevices good Buff aloe grass valley about 
2 m . wide left here 8 Oclock crossed some small Creeks, past 
one grave left the Sweet 10 OClock to the right hand & Al- 
kali to the left a few rods Sa'leratus here all over to the left 
of us Snow lyes on the Mountains not far distant turned 
of[f] the Road to the right down to the River no grass any 



* This paragraph on Independence Rock was written on a blank page 
of the note-book, and is inserted at this point by the editor. 

27 From this point to South Pass the trail crossed the Sweetwater 
several times, and there were numerous optional fords and routes. 

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Turnbulls Travels 

place else but Sage, this forenoon road pretty heavy sand & 
gravel nooned, beside a mountain of rock Granite running 
from D. Gate I dont know how far forenoon middling these 
Rocks on these mountains are laid like packs of Bags of oats 
all shaped forms left Afternoon 3 Oclock, feeding close by 
Stoney Bluff swam our Horses on to an Island afternoon 
passed 2 Graves 5 dead Cattle touched the River twice 
crossed some runs heavy sand mostly ' all afternoon left 
Vader 17 th . saw 4 Elk snow on the mountains to the left. 

Friday 18 th . left Sweet W. at 6 Oclock in the morning just 
after starting the "Wind ridge mountains made there appear- 
ance all covered with Snow About 2 Hours travel we came 
to the Alkali Swamp we saw some men digging for Ice, it is 
said that Ice can be found 2 ft under ground, saw one deer 
plenty ground Dogs. Cattle lying dead on the Road, passed 
over 1000 head of Cattle, the road the most of the way very 
heavy Sand & Gravel, came to Sweet Water 12 Oclk lS 1 /^ 
[miles?] before watering our Horses grass very scarce all 
sat up on Ace*, of so many Teams, ford good nooned on the 
Banks of the River, afternoon 2 OClock left & crossed some 
very high Bluffs of rock & a pretty high Before we came to 
the S. "Water a handsome & wide valley over 1 mile wide 
stopt 4 OClock, & good grass, passed 2 Graves this afternoon 
pretty cold last night on Ace*, of the mountains of Snow to 
our right. 

Sat*. 19 th . left 5 OClock left the S. W. at 6 Oc ascended 
the R ock y M. pretty high & Rocky for 4 m . after this all day 
good rolling land & good travelling passed one "Waggon left, 
1 grave 1 Dead Ox, walked, Snow 60 yds long & 10 ft deep 
Snow lying in gulleys on every side, passed at the end of 4 m 
3 Lakes or marshes as it is now dry some springs some stream 
Strawbery Creek Aspen Springs Branch of S — W — Willow 
Creek dry noond 2 Hours poor grass, Wind ridges cov- 
ered by snow to the right hand of us afternoon started 3 
OClock crossed Willow Creek & turned out at the Sweet Wa- 
ter about one mile to the left of the Ford good grass about 
3/2 mile when the handsomest road I ever saw track 100 ft wide 
or upwards, Snow lying along the banks of the River in dif- 
ferent places day times here pretty warm a good breese of 

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wind all the time very cold at night camp ' d 4 Oclock after- 
noon plenty Willows & wild Sage for wood 

Sunday 20 th left Camp 10 Oclock saw one Antelope shot 
plenty of Crows they build in the rocks Barren Country 
our Horses shew their ribs pretty plain Reid has the moun- 
tain Fever pretty warm this morning snow about 20 R from 
us, crossed the S — Water by Ford good Fording went on 7 
miles passed between 2 Mounds V4 mile from the Road good 
grass from the S — Water to the South Pass from where we left 
[this] morning it is a Slightly undulating plain between 
mountains several miles apart the ascent over the pass is so 
gradual as to be almost imperceptible snow covered moun- 
tains can be seen in different direction. The Wind River 
Range lies off to the right passed t[w]o graves forenoon 1 
Waggon left good 1 young Antelope fed part of him to the 
Dog a great many handsome groves of small Pines along 
these mountains The height of the Pass is 7,000 ft above the 
Sea Pacific Springs here you strike the 1 st Water of the Pa- 
cific Ocean this marsh goes along the road about V/4 mile on 
your right on which is good grass Near the lower end some 40 
Rods from the road is one of the best Springs wild sage first 
rate good roads to day li •> [miles] from here to the Pacific 
Creek this is a small stream but a little miry there is more" 
grass & water than the other road to Salt Lake we crossed 
the Creek below the Pacific Springs w T e followed down the 
P Creek to its entrance into Green River passed 2 Graves 22 
Waggon Tires & Irons of all descriptions as good as new 
Waggons burnt up camp 3 6 oGlock 2 miles down the P. 
Creek the scene this evening was equal to any fare in Eng- 
land with Waggons Cattle Horses Mules & fires of wild sage 
& B — Dung, good breese of wind to day this road turns to 
the left after crossing the P. Creek & the other to the right. 

nday 21 st . left camp 5 OClock & turned of[f] on to 
the main track again on acct of seeing nobody going that way 
passed Little Sandy Creek dry almost a good spring a few 
Rod up the Creek came on to the Junction [of] the road 10 
OClock 28 the right hand leading to California & Oregon the 



■ West of South Pass the old emigrant road crossed Pacific Creek, 
Dry Sandy, Little Sandy, and Big Sandy, and descended the right bank 

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Turnbulls Travels 

left to Salt Lake 12 miles on this S. Lake Road & then turn 
to the right you will miss the 1 st . Desert killed one sage hen 
saw 1 drove Antelope passed 3 companies from California at 
different times to day about 60 Pack & loose Mules left 
C — a May 5 th one met his brother & turned back 
again to California noonecl 12 OClock. roads good some 
grass poor went on afternoon crossed Little Sandy 7% 
[miles] to Ford from Junction we camp d aibout one mile 
from the Ford pretty good grass we had a pretty heavy 
rain for 2 hours & very cold pretty fine this evening good 
road this afternoon 

left camp 6 Oclock A. M. from the left hand road west of 
the Pass to Little Sandy 7% miles to Big Sandy again 17 
miles stopped & fed at noon on upland among sage some 
very good grass amongst it pretty middling good chance for 
feed all day passed 1 Dead Ox 1 Log Chain 16 feet road sandy 
not very heavy some gravel & small loose Rock we had very 
heavy rain this afternoon & a cold one You have now passed 
out of Oregon T y into Utah Territory formerly Upper Califor- 
nia at Big Sandy again 17 miles Camp' d at 4 Oclock after 
noon on a bend of Big Sandy good grass pretty fine even- 
ing. 



of the last named to the Green River; thence, following Black's and 
Ham's forks, it reached Fort Bridger. It continued from Fort Bridger 
by way of the Muddy Fork of Ham's Fork and finally reached the Bear 
River at the mouth of Sublette's Creek. Fremont followed this route 
in part in 1843, and printed a detailed map of Bear River. Report, 
132. Turnbull followed this road, except that he crossed the Green at 
Kinney's Ford, and went west by Slate Creek to the junction of the 
emigrant road and Sublette's Cut-off. He did not touch Fort Bridger. 
The Sublette Cut-off branched from the old road at Little Sandy, went 
west across Big Sandy to the Green, below the mouth of La Barge 
Creek, and then southwest across Fontenelle and Slate creeks to the 
Muddy Fork of Ham's Fork, where it rejoined the old trail. In 1857- 
58, by act of Congress of February 17, 1857, a new wagon road from 
South Pass was surveyed by F. W. Lander. This road ran north of the 
Sandy, crossed Green River at the New Fork, and reached Fort Hall, 
on the Snake, without touching the Bear River. It followed, in part, 
trails of the upper Green Valley long known to trappers, who had held 
their annual rendezvous in this region since the later twenties. The 
valuable report of F. W. Lander, with a large map of this region, drawn 
by W. H. Wagner, is in 35 Cong., 2 sess., Sen. Ex. Docs., p. 36, serial 984. 

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Tuesday [2]2 d pretty cold last night 

"Wednesday 23 d left Big Sandy 7 Ocloek A. M. companies 
differing packing their Horses, leaving "Waggons 1 hour from 
Camp met about 15 Pack Mules & Ponies & men from Califor- 
nia carrying Newspapers for sale all the miners names & 
where they live in C[aliforni]a 50 cts . for Paper just ait 
the junction of the Salt Lake road & cut off road to miss a Des- 
ert 41V2 miles no grass nor water only 6 miles round this 




road good grass & water this separation where the S. Lake 
road turns to the left is shorter after you leave the last camp- 
ing on the Big Sandy high clay banks & a large flat just 
looks as it had been an old Brick yard but large enough for 
one Dozen crossed a very steep run way about 6 ft deep 
width of one wheel took the Waggon by hand & hitched the 
Horses to the tongue it wants a spade to save Waggons 
touched Green River about 11 Oclk went within one mile of 
the Ferry & nooned on a bottom good grass to day all along 
good grass among the Sage road a little heavy forenoon 
gravel & sand, Saw one Dead Ox. Cotton wood plenty along 
the Banks of Green River, one thunder shower this cut off 
on the main C — a road is called 175 miles shorter than 
the California road leading from the S. Pass to the right 

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Turnbulls Travels 

hand 29 ' af[t]er about 2 Oelock camp d , on the Banks of Green 
River on a high Bluff & handsome valley of grass a great, 
width [of] Eiver in high water overflows acres in width 
some Salaratus on the bottom upland all Sage to day mixed 
with bunches of wild Rye, good feed for Horses, about 6 ft . high 
about 2m from G. River Ferry rested our Horses until 

Thursday 24 th . 2 Oelock crossed the Ferry, 30 Huntoon 
Wellen Hepps & Reid came up just as we were taken 
across our last "Waggon from $5 to $7 per Waggon 50 cta 
for Cattle & Horses, this G. River is 100 yds wide & 
tremendous swift the Swiftest we have crossed the Cap- 
tain of the Ferry, offered me $2 pr day & Board a white 
man from York State & some half breeds & Indians camp d . he 
lives 250 miles from here at Utah Valley on California road $2 
for 3 months carry me free to the Valley & give me $4 pr day 
& board as long as I am wanted to Stay, left the Ferry & 
came on to Slate Creek 3 ft wide but deep 10 mile from 
Ferry Sage Wild Rye & Blue joint some pretty high pitches 
this afternoon but short camp 6 Oelock among grass Bunch 
& wild Rye sage cold last night to watch Horses, some few 
Indians camp d at little way from us good Ponies 

Friday, June 25 th . left camp 6 Oelock fine morning came 
through a pretty flat country part of the forenoon very dusty 
white Clay & sand other part of it pretty hills & stony on acct 
of it not being much travelled passed one Creek, came down 
a pretty long hill ■ mountains of Rock down a Ravine at the 
bottom of the Hill came to a handsome Spring boiling out be-, 
low a Rock under a high hill surrounded by Willow Bushes, 
ascended a pretty long hill about l m . & nooned on the face of 
it turned our Horses down into a small Creek, some good 
bunch grass & wild rye, very high red hills here just as if 
burnt by fire snow mountains all around us afternoon 
passed a good many of the Snake Indians camp along they 
have lots of Ponies all colours, flint Guns, Powder & lead, 
flashy handkerchiefs, Beeds, such as they give Ponies — good 



" The California road here alluded to, was later Improved as the 
Lander road. Cf. Note 28. 

80 This ferry appears to have been a few miles above the mouth of the 
Green, near its intersection with the 42d parallel. 

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Ponies, Spirits, I was offered a good punchy heavy Ponies for 
7 hickory shirts pretty windy to day dust very bad about 
3 OClock ascended a high hill about 1 hour sort of shell Rock 
& fine dust mixed about ancle deep on the sides of these 
mountains are springs all over & good ones, on the top of 
this mountain I could look back for 60 miles & ahead for 10 
miles to mountains of Snow, not all covered but very large 
wreathes but before we came to where the two roads meet the 
one crossing the desert 41i/o miles, & the other from the Pass, 
by Kains cut off, Pack road made 31 1832 we went up a terri- 
ble pitch for about 20 Rod & down a tremendous steep hill for 
over y 2 mile slate rock all mashed up among fine dust ancle 
deep crossed a small stream called Alkali Springs, where the 
two roads come together then we went down through a val- 
ley of good grass & spring water camp' d on the top of a Hill 
beside poplar Grove, good grass & plenty spring water 
camp' d 6 oclk about i/> mile above Mountain Creek to the left 
these mountains of Snow are all covered Avith pine Timber, 

Saturday 26 th . after leaving camp a few minutes crossed 
a good many small streams all springs from the Mountains' 
then came to Poplar Ridge after about 2 Hours travel came 
to two Roads, one leading to the right & one straight ahead 
coming both together again in a short distance straight ahead 
misses a terrible high hill we followed the Poplar ridge 
straight ahead a good road & plenty of grass stopt & fed 10 
oclk some Alkali, along the creeks passed one Buggy left 3 
Oxen dead one man wheeling a Wheel Barrow, at 11 Oclk 
came alongside of Hams Fork, & travelled up a valley along 
side of the River, bottoms over one mile wide the handsomest 
and longest grass I have seen on the road enough to feed 1000 3 
of Cattle & Horses, this is the place to feed up your teams for 
1 week, crossed Hams Fork 12 Oclock & camp d at noon on 
the other side two roads within a few Rod of each other one 
going over the mountain Peak & the other round below another 
hill this misses a good many hills in one ^ Days travel In- 
dians & Ponies camp here at noon for all our road struck the 



a Cf. Note 28. The Sublette and Oregon roads met on Crow Creek, a 
tributary of Muddy Fork of Ham's Fork. 

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Turnbuli's Travels 

Mountain Peak, about the Centre, it is a terrible hill after 
that we had a road on the top of the Mountains for a long 
time equal to a turnpike the handsome [st] green mountains 
I ever saw covered by Pine & poplar & wreaths of Snow here* 
& there along the tops & Valleys next we came to the Poplar 
timber Grove S m . from Ford Hams Fork next Balsam fir 
Grove 3 miles a tremendous high mountains the names of 
1000 s marked on the fir Trees here trees 80 to 100 high from 4 
ft at the but gradual taper to the top, then went down some 
frightful mountains from 1 to ll 1 /^™. pretty near straight about 
knee deep of fine dust worked so by dregging next to Marsh 
Springs Creek 4 m . here are poison Springs of water up on the 
side of the road from the Creek about one mile after that we 
came over some terrible high mountains nearly straight 2 
"Wheels dregged fast enough then then next into Bear River 
valley & camp' d all night grass good water also, passed 8 
Graves from 1848 to 50. 3 dead Oxen plenty of grass on 
these mountains all day musquetoes bad last night before sun 
down 

Sunday 27 th . cold last night left camp 7 Oclock passed up 
& down some small Hills roads very dusty but good next to 
Bear River Valley, a handsome Valley of grass lengthways as 
far as your eye can discern & crossways about 3 miles mixed 
with blue Joint wild rye & wild oats, about 6 m . long next to 
Bear River Valley Creek d™^ turn to the right before we 
crossed the Creek at the foot of a terrible high mountain a lit- 
tle ways the road to Fort Bridger goes right ahead one road 
turned round to the left across the Creek 5 times in a few rod 
some sydling holes about up to the Waggon box now it is very 
low but swift dangerous when deep high it can be avoided by 
going 4 miles further round road to left before you come here 
the most of the teams come this way, after Ave crossed the 
Creek for about % mile the road runs between the Creek & a 
large mountain of Rocks a tremendous high running in ridges 
so far apart from Bottom to top Rocks little [like] the peaks 
of a torn down old Castle this 1-2 miles of a road is horrid up 
one Rock & down over another & cramp ' d for width on Ace*, 
of Rocks falling from the tops of the mountain Rocks hang- 
ing right over above us enough for us to look up, passed num- 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

erous springs 10 Graves 5 Dead Cattle M r . Neals name "Wau- 
kegan was wrote by pencil on one of these Grave head boards 
ahead of us same day we are still going down Bear River 
about one mile from it some great mountains on each side 
forenoon & last night the best & most grass I have seen for 
some time enough to supply 1000 s of stock & this is 1000 s for 
it nooned & fed 12 Oclock afternoon left 2 oclock, passed 
2 dead Oxen came along a handsome valley half way between 
the River & the handsome green mountains on each side a val- 
ley of grass enough to support 1000 s of Stock we camped on 
the top of a hill about *4 m ^ e from the River it runs very 
rapid here Musquetoes this evening 4 Oclk is terrible bad 
this is about the 3 d . we have suffered by them since we left Chi- 
cago roads to day excellent nights too cold for Me. 

Monday 28 th . came along the Valley of Bear River i 
should think in some places about 10 ms wide excellent grass 
next to Thomas s Fork 32 some has to make raft and take their 
waggons over they have to go up in the mountains 7 or 8 mt 
to get Timber, but it happened to be very low, we lifted our 
Boxes up on the front with ropes & put the feed trough on 
the top of the hind Ox this was high enough to keep all dry 
about 2 Rod wide it is very dangerous in high water the 
Indians here have Ponies here to trade with the whites for 
poor large Horses, the best ponies I ever saw about the size of 
Tours all colours, followed a valley about 2 mil^s 8 oclock 
next commenced climbing mountains up & down all forenoon 
from l~2 mile to 3 m up & down ascending & descending ter- 
rible to look at it from top or Bottom nooned at the Bottom 
of the last hill 12 Oclock turned our Horses out among grass 
wild oats & Rye & grass mixed passed 5 Graves 4 Dead Cat- 
tle, Musquetoes very bad some wind afternoon came along 
the B. River 7 m camp' d 3 miles from the Bear about %m from 
the mountains on the Banks of Tallies Creek it came down 
raging through these high mountains ford good about 1 foot 
deep 1 Rod wide grass no bounds to it, wind pretty strong 
good road, this afternoon 



32 This part of the trail is shown in detail on the Montpelier quad- 
rangle of the Topog. Map of the U. S. 

[1S4] 



Turnbull's Travels 

Tuesday 29 tb . cool last night left 5 Oclock, passed 4 Springs 
water Creeks, one Willow & one Ashes or Ashlies, plenty of 
grass passed one dead Ox. Musketoes enough roads very 
good cool days & cold nights before 12 Oclock passed 6 
runs of Mountain streams more ascended some small hills & 
descended amongst them good grass afternoon left at 2 
Oclock some of 1 st . Grey Flies on the Horses pretty rolling 
road this afternoon crossed Muddy Creek, crossed the Wil- 
low Spring camp d below some Soda springs 33 the springs are 
at the North side of a beautiful grove of Cedar the water is 
good to drink, snow on the tops of the mountains pretty cold 
nights 

Wednesday 30 th . left Soda Springs 6 Oclk morning about 
1/2 mile from a Snake Village all built with wigwams covered 
by Buffaloe skins one Log House a Northwest trader or trad- 
ers French & Americans, every thing mostly for sale Ponies 
in 100 s all colours & kinds pretty near as good as the Montreal 
Ponies Blacksmiths shop, Indians here to shew [shoe] their 
Hunters here, it is a handsome place snow on the mountains 
all round here, Bear Spring right under the Bank 1 mile from 
where we camp' d but [better] than any Soda Water you drink 
the spring is on the Bend of the Kiver where it leaves you & 
then we came to it pretty near a bend & watered & then drove 
16 miles from Bear River Spring or Soda Springs, 4 miles to 
Sublet cut off one road turns to the right to Oregon & 
straight ahead for California, good grass the whole 16 mlles 
the guide says little or no grass small pitches but steep one 
very long up & down until we come to Water Creek called 
mountain Willow Creek good road only some places a few 
Stones passed 3 dead Cattle 1 Grave nooned at M. W. Creek 
& fed very cold water & scores of teams resting not very 
hot windy dust bad afternoon we just now commenced to 
ascend a very long & high hill but somewhat gradual until the 
top now straight down hills through ravines or gulleys fright- 



83 The group of Soda Springs at the great bend of the Bear River -was 
a well-known landmark. A few miles beyond, the Oregon Trail 
branched to the north, crossed the ridge and descended the Portneuf 
River to Fort Hall. Turnbull continued on the California road, some- 
times known as Hedspeth's road. 

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ful to look at on Ace*, of sidling places, Rocks, & deep holes 
guttered out by wheels & run ways from springs, crossed a 
stream half breed selling whiskey & trading passed 2 dead 
Oxen, camp' d about 7 oclock about l m . from next stream be- 
fore mentioned good grass & plenty of it all afternoon 7 
miles since morning ourselves & Horses, holding to Waggon 
all afternoon down hill 

July 1 st . last night pretty cool left 6 oclock, pretty 
windy & cool good road some hills enough to make it good 
& fast travelling to Valley Marsh Creek, 9 miles good water 
& plenty of grass wild oats, & rye, all along stopt 1 Hour & 
fed at the above mentioned Creek all along the same as far 
as we have come good grass since 10 Oclock we have as- 
cended a long hill pretty gradual only some places pretty 
steep, the descent about the same stopt about half way down 
by a Spring good water surrounded by willow bushes, grass 
middling but enough the Cedars on these Mountains are just 
like an old Apple Orchard that had been planted stopt & fed 
at Spring 1 oclk 8Y2 m . up & down hill since 9 oclock (1 Grave 
here, 1849.) afternoon left 2 Oclock, crossed 2 Creeks not 
far apart, one from Spring one running into the other from 
some other course road very good not to[o] hilly, right 
amongst Mountains the best grass I mostly ever saw find 
[fine] Blue joint & met over 20 Packers the fattest & best 
mules I mostly ever saw passed 2 Graves, crossed the Wil- 
low Muddy Creek Water not very good 25 miles today 
camp' d on the side of Willow Creek, good grass 

Friday 2 d . heavy dew last night & pretty cold left 5 Oclk, 
& went 8 m . to gravel Creek, the best feed I mostly ever saw 
between camp & Creek good Road poor grass all around 
met about 20 Packers 60 or 80 Mules from California] agoing 
to the states one dead Ox, fed 1 Hour at G. Creek between 
camp & here wild Tares in places 3 ft high left the Creek 
at 10 Oclock & entered a ravine & gradually rising some 
pretty heavy pitches to the summit of a mountain 7 miles, we 
went down a ravine deep & difficult to the Valley 2 miles it 
took us from 10 until 2 Oclock no water but plenty wood & 
grass, saw Kings, Derkins, Coles, names wrote in this ravine 
passed 17 th . June we July 2 d . passed one dead Ox. dust 

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Turnbull's Travels 

enough to choke you stopt until 4 Ocloek 14% miles until we 
got water 9 Ocloek at night 31% [miles] from water to 
water at night at the summit of the mountains they said 
there was a spring 27 miles from G. Creek to water but we 
did not see it & 100 s for by [besides] we good road all after- 
noon gradual ascending & descending until we came to some 
springs about one mile from small Stream plenty grass all 
day the best 

Saturday 3 d . pretty warm last night left camp 8 Ocloek, 
crossed small stream 7 miles to [the] 1 st . Springs all through 
here until noon one from the 7 miles 2 1 /* miles next ^4 mile 
stopt at the ^4 & fed good roads this forenoon up ravines & 
small pitches great mountains on each side scattering pine 
wherever you find these Springs, & good grass passed one 
waggon left one grave 1850. 3 dead Ox stopt here 3 hours 
afternoon left 3 Ocloek came down a river a little rolling 
over hills all afternoon the handsomest roads I ever saw & 
groves of poplar & Pine mixed every few Rods chains bolts 
of every Boxes wheels, burnt & unburnt the Spring we stopt 
at noon is a spring the head water of Raft River then we 
went down the Ravine, above mentioned next came to Spring 
about 2 miles the largest I ever saw for some time, next came 
to Muddy Creek 5y 2 miles, this was called bad to cross & 
empties into the branch of Raft River we found good bot- 
tom all gravel below above 2 ft deep on the edge going in & 
about 6 ft wide if we had kept down to the left we couldl 
have crossed it & not wet the spokes half plenty of grass all 
along all day & wild oats ripe & tares mixed camp' d by a 
Waggon about the strongest & best I mostly ever saw left 
plenty of wood here all along & sage we burnt the Box for 
fire wood & somebody else will burn the Wheels &c Wag- 
gon are burnt all along Log chains all along here to day. 

[July 4] Stopt Sunday until 5 Ocloek afternoon started 
and went down to where we cross the Creek east branch R. 
River camp' d all night wild oats, tares & grass, plenty, 
passed one grave one dead Ox 

[July] 5 th . Sunday night very cold left Monday 6 ocloek 
near this valley it is surrounded with lofty mountains covered 
with Snow it is about 25 miles to the west side great quan- 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

titles of wild Sage, clay soil & very dusty a little down hill 
11% miles to Raft River, 9 Oclock 11% miles The River ap- 
pears to be divided forming an Island which is muddy & 
Marshy to the west side of it. To the River again 214 Miles 
passed 3 dead Oxen one Fox eating at one, plenty grass here 
afternoon to the west Branch of Raft River 2 miles no diffi- 
culty about crossing after crossing, plenty wood & grass 
here you strike the road leading from Fort Hall to Salt Lake 
city which is 180 miles long we followed up the Branch to 
the Ford 8V2 miles good gravel fording plenty of wood & 
grass passed one Grave 3 dead Oxen spoke to Henderson to 
day that used to live at Gifford Ferry G. River Canada where 
Jones & me stopt when when taken out logs for Grand Island 
camp' d 6 Oclock at the foot of snow mountains perhaps 7 miles 
from it. 

Tuesday 6 th . left camp 1/2 P ast 4 Oclock in the morning, some 
rain very cold about 2 Hours met 12 Packers for the states 
40 Mules plenty grass & water all along, grass a great height 
after leaving camp ascended a dividing ridge between the 
water of Raft River, & those of Goose Creek passed 2 Streams 
before Valley stream 3 dead Oxen, stopt & fed 8 Oclock, 
pretty cold, terrible mountains on each side rain d pretty 
near 2 Oclock crossed Valley Stream Another small stream 
Another large stream, we now commence rising the moun- 
tains again (not very steep) through a pass leaving to the left 
over a small ridge to a mountain stream a good ford all 
gravel grass & plenty of pine on the mountains the stream 
takes its rise in a cluster of Rocks monuments 34 of all kinds & 
extend upwards 100 s of feet among them is one called 
Steeple Rock (it looks like a Steeple) there is a cluster of con- 
ical Rocks (resembles a City) we now have crossed a num- 
ber of ridges to day & streams of water not very good, after- 
noon camp to the junction of Salt Lake road not far beyond 
the City Rocks passed one dead Mule, camp' d by A small 



114 The City of Rocks was the western end of Lander's section of the 
■wagon road mentioned in note 28. It is shown on Wagner's map, as 
well as on F. A. Bishop's "Map of the "Western Division of the Fort 
Kearney, South Pass, and Honey Lake Road," in 35 Cong., 2 sess., Sen. 
Ex. Docs., p. 36, serial 984. 

[188] 



Turnbulis Travels 

stream in the centre of a valley 24i/> Miles today thunders 
& looks like rain, not good grass water good pretty cold 
some snow on the M S — 

Wednesday 7 tb . passed 2 Small streams & then ascended 
Goose Creek range of mountains which are the highest in the 
region though not very high above the surrounding country 
whose General level is about 5,000 ft above the Sea. as we 
ascended the Mountains we found a good spring near the road 
at your right, passed a small Creek Ave have had a very 
hilly road for several miles on our descent to Goose Creek, 
we have descended a very steep hill but safe with care passed 
another small stream this stream is a tributary of Goose 
Creek nooned good grass & water met Dobson in Chicago 
& French Boys Gross Point at the junction of Salt Lake road 
they went by S. Lake called 80 miles round pretty cold this 
forenoon mountains handsomely covered with Cedars, Af- 
ternoon As you enter Goose Creek Valley, you will be de- 
lighted with its beauty it several tables Bluffs mountain high 
with their smooth level tops, breaking off square at their 
edges, then gradually & smoothly sloping down to the level of 
the Valley, you do not cross Goose Creek but follows on the 
east side crossed a small Creek & then passed over a small 
ridge to the River again in all to day 24 Miles, camp' d 
about one mile up the River plenty of grass, pretty Barren 
country all sage to left passed 1 Graves 2 dead Oxen 
pretty cold all day & also last night 

Thursday 8 th . morning left 6 Oclock pretty warm after sun- 
rise passed over two pretty bad Creeks one rod wide pretty 
deep going in & Muddy stopt and fed on the Goose Creek 
Valley 9 Oclock some alkali on Goose Creek Valley we 
crossed another Stream a little miry but not over 1 Rod wide 
Goose Creek forked about 2 miles back the N. Fork bears west 
among the mountains up this Fork 6 miles gold has been 
found 35 leaving the head of the Valley you follow up the 



36 The alleged discovery of gold on Goose Creek is mentioned by sev- 
eral emigrants. A. Delano, Life on the Plains and Among the Diggings 
(New York, 1857), p. 152; W. Kelly, Across the Rocky Mountains, from 
New York to California (London, 1852), p. 182. 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

South fork through a Cut in the mountains very Rocky 
hard heads laying as thick as hair on a dogs back in places, 
next to the Ford, we first crossed from the south to the N. 
side of the stream & after going up some distance crossed 
over back again to the South side & left it. Both crossings 
are a little miry after leaving the stream we ascended & de- 
scended a long hill which is almost entirely covered with 
small stones up & down the road crooked no water & no 
grass for 16 miles 4 miles below spring good grass no water 
much, Creek pretty near dry on entering this valley a little 
at the right under a ledge of Rock is a spring of good water 
though a little warm when first taken we passed this spring 
& went down the Valley 4 miles & found good grass & plenty 
spring 12 miles from grass on Goose Creek up on the side of 
the mountains I found plenty good wild Rye &c but every 
[one] stopt in the valley, passed 3 Graves & passed one man 
that lived in a rock for 7 days having the Diarrhoer, all alone 
he is getting better pretty Barren all along yesterday over 
Creeks & Springs 

Friday 9 th . camp' d last night 9 oclock left 7 Oclock [this 
morning] & followed still down the Valley found the Creek 
from Rock Spring dry but some one dug a hole in the centre of 
it 3 ft. & plenty of good Rye in the sides of it & large patches 
of wild wheat about 4 ft long & Rye 3 ft all in milk yet better 
than mountain Rye, we turned to the right over a small ridge 
to Hot Spring Valley 2^ miles about 5 miles from Rock Spring 
before you come to grass good & plenty of it wheat &c mixed 
down the centre of the Creek & look for a well or wells Al- 
kali all through this Valley & along the mountains, large 
patches of wheat & grass once in a while between these bar- 
ren covered with Sage passed 2 graves stopt and fed at a 
bend of these rocks where it leaves it for some time after- 
noon left at 5 Oclk passed 2 dead Horses saw one Antelope 
camp 6 Oclk a Valley about 2 mile all along afternoon travel 
about 2 miles from a spring of good water, but used water out 
of its run 21 miles to day all along this Valley plenty Al- 
kali still along here on the mountains & on the Valley 

Saturday 10 th . left this morning 6 Oclock passed the Boil- 
ing Springs boiling like hot water on the fire full of Alkali 

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passed 2 graves 2 dead Oxen passed a good spring 14 miles 
these are called Thousand Spring Valley on Acc c of numerous 
springs one mile from Hot Spring Valley the steam from 
them can be seen several miles, have appearance of smoke, 
have a temperature of 180 degrees They are numerous & 
form quite a Stream after leaving them for 3 miles you con- 
tinue up the head of the Valley next to a spring of good water 
7 miles this spring is situated a little distance from the Val- 
ley up a ravine, stopt & fed 10 Oclock, passed one grave 2 
dead Oxen, passed Californians 46 Mules & some Horses. 
bound for the States not far from the Valley where we 
camped for the night this 7 miles spring above mentioned 
near the Spring the road forks, the right hand turns up the 
hill out of the ravine & does not come to it again for 30 miles 
the left hand road passes up the ravine or depression between 
the mountains grand Valley ascending for 2 miles as you 
ascend you will find several Springs on your left you pass 
over the dividing ridge A Small stream 6 miles still further 
on in a small Valley are a number of Springs of good 
water 6 miles you then pass over hills, to another Valley 8 
miles 30 Miles today Camp' d opposite the Humboldt Moun- 
tain covered with snow on our left good water & Grass 

Sunday 11 th . stopt all day good grass wild Rye & good 
water 1 Grave opposite some dead cattle lying on the Val- 
ley some thunder showers today, we heard of Lacy and 
Puller some ways behind us by coining up to a company from 
Chicago pretty cold night. 

Monday 12th about y 2 hour from where we camp' d all 
night the best grass I mostly have seen on the road wild 
wheat 6 ft high and wild clover in abundance no bounds to 
feed all along the North side of the mountains some pretty 
hot fed at 10 Oclock passed 1 dead horse — down the Val- 
ley to Marys River 36 a creek along side mostly all forenoon 



88 As late as 1844 explorers were still hunting for a "reputed" Buena- 
ventura River that, rising in the great Nevada Basin, pierced the Sierra 
and gave a route to San Francisco Bay. Fremont's exploration of 1844 
proved the non-existence of this river, and on his trip of 1845 he gave 
the name Humboldt to the river that guided most of the emigrants 
from the Salt Lake Basin to the foot of the Sierra. This river had 

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good water there best feed I ever saw nooned at the ford 
good ford gravel bottom 16 miles forenoon. Afternoon the 
Valley about the head of Marys River is a most beautiful Val- 
ley you will see you can see the Humboldt mountains not 
far distant on your left covered with everlasting Snows while 
you are on the Valley below melting under the scorching rays 
of the sun during the longest days of summer you cross 
Marys River & continue down the North side of it to the North 




Humboldt "River 
to sacramento 



% \ \ 



branch of Marys River 21 Miles we passed one dead horse 
one Grave June 1852 piles of Log chain scattered different 
places along the road all day the remains of "Waggons of all 
description camp' d at 5 Oclock about y 2 way on the 21 m . 
amongst the best grass of every kind I ever saw in the United 
States some flies this afternoon as for width & length [of 



been visited by Jedediah Smith and others since 1827, and had re- 
ceived the names Ogden and Mary, in honor of the fur-trader Peter 
Skeene Ogden, and Mary, his wife. Thwaites, Early Western Travels, 
xxviii, note 113; Fremont, Report, p. 196; J. C. Fremont, Memoirs 
(Chicago, 1887), i, p. 434. 



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grassland?] I cant say dust flying to day so as we could not 
see our Horses some of the time some alkali all along the 
River good 

Tuesday 13 th . pretty cold last night some Musquetoes 
passed 2 Graves one 1852 & 1849 fed about 3 miles from the 
North branch of Mary River 21 miles from the commence- 
ment of Marys River crossed the north Branch on the east 
side of this branch are large quantities of Alkali & some 
Salaratus — the ground as white as snow the crossing is good 
we continued down the Valley occassionally passing over con- 
siderable hills you pass a collection of Hot Springs & an In- 
dian ford ahead The Springs are on the opposite side of the 
River, afternoon touched the River 3 times passed 2 Gangs 
of Packers small companies 3 in one & some 6 in the other 
bound for the States passed one grave one dead Horse we 
are amongst the Root diggers all along the Humboldt, camp ,d 
all night on the Valley saw one Root digger to day fishing 
in Marys River one dead Mule left all the Snow on the 
mountains this evening behind us mountains some smaller 
close by the River all day but high backwoods some Mus- 
quetoes to night grass not to be exceeded pretty warm from 
10 Oclock until 2 P. M. 

"Wednesday 14 th . not so cold last night as usual left camp 
y 2 past 4 oclock tracking [trekking?] still on the Valley 
good road only rather dusty not very hot somewhat windy 
touched the River 3 times since morning good grass all along 
& plenty for all fed at 8 Oclock some Ducks here Swallows 
some singing birds 2 Cranes I saw ox teams here & ahead of 
us in flocks surprising how Cattle stand it some that we 
have passed & repassed started again at 9 Oclock came to 
the end of Marys Valley about 11 Oclock A little before 
reaching the end of the Valley the south branch 37 of Marys 



81 J. H. Holeman, Indian agent at Salt Lake City, left that place 
May 12, 1852, and visited the tribes along the trail to Carson Valley. 
He traveled with various trains, and found that all the Indian tribes, 
Digger, Shoshone, and Piute, professed friendship. Returning up the 
Humboldt he met "upon an average, about three hundred wagons daily 
from the time 1 left the sink of the Humboldt until I reached the Goose 
Creek mountains — a distance of upwards of four hundred miles." He 

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River comes down from the base of the Humboldt mountains 
enter [s] the River from an easterly direction At the end of 
the Valley the road forks, one branch leading up over the 
mountain which is the one described by Pratt & Slater & the 
other bearing to the left down the River & crossing it 4 times 
in less than 10 miles the crossings are not bad in low water, 
but difficult in high. Between the first & second crossings a 
Road from Salt Lake comes in across 75 miles of a desert 
we took the one down & a good many more down the River 
a small flat in places along the River from 4 to 5 Rods wide 
middling good grass in places tremendous mountains of 
Rocks on each side of us crossed the River 3 times & would 
have wet our provisions but we raised the Box 4 inches and 
got through well good gravel bottom nooned on good grass 
pretty large bend of the River, afternoon that makes from 
the North branch of Marys River to the end of the Valley 55 
miles passed a small stream of good water 2y 2 [miles] you 
follow down this River to the ford 3 mile you now cross a 
number of ridge & Valleys to a Spring of good water 8% To 
another 3 miles, the spring is 80 Rod to your left you now 
pass over the Sumit of the hill or ridge to a spring of good 
water 1 mile, passed some Springs 1 mile but we took the 
Road that leads to the crossing of the River 4 times good 
Road plenty of grass, 

[Thursday 15 th .] camp' d all night over the bank in a bot- 
tom close by tlie River good grass passed one dead Horse 
& 2 dead Oxen people along this days journey should be 
very careful not to take left hand foot paths it will often 
lead you 6 miles out of the road the River here is very 
crooked it turns very short to the North. To Marys River 17 
miles This 17 miles should be commenced if possible in the 
morning at the end of this distance the road forks again? 8 






recommended the establishment of military posts at the Mormon Sta- 
tion in Carson Valley and on the Humboldt "near the mouth of the 
south fork, some twenty miles below where the road first strikes the 
river." Annual Rep. Commr. of Indian Aff., 1852, pp. 442, 443, serial 658. 
88 Gravelly Ford. Here Turnbull left the usual trail and crossed to 
the south bank of the Humboldt. Near this place Holeman wished to 
put his fort 

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the left hand road crosses the River & passes down upon the 
South side of the River to the desert at the end of the Sink. ( 
The right hand road which is the [one] described in the Guide 
it goes down the North side & is some 30 miles further but 
has better grass & avoids crossing the stream there are how- 
ever several places in the distance where travellers sometimes 
ford Marys River in low water but in high water they cant 
ford it passed 5 Springs flowing from Gravel & Rock this 
forenoon on this 17 miles to Marys River where the Guide 
says no w r ater pretty road & hilly all the way nooned after 
crossing the River on the south side about 2 miles good grass 
staid [till] 3 Oelock, left & went down the River about 6 miles 
from ford & camp' d 4 Oelock good grass & plenty of it a 
large Grey Wolve came to a dead Horse about 50 Rod from 
us good road this afternoon but terrible dusty about i-> leg 
deep clay soil plenty Buffaloe dung on these Valleys by the 
River it seems rare to us for we have not seen none for some 
time 

Friday 16 th . left camp V 2 past 4 Oelock went over some 
small Bluffs peaks towards the Valley pretty dusty Clay 
saw a large bed of Saleratus to the left passed 2 dead Oxen 
plenty of "Waggon Irons turned out & fed good grass all 
along this morning fed at 8 oelock one horse passed dead 
1 Ox still down the Valley road some rough by being stoney 
the road in places keeps to the left of the River some 1 or \y 2 
miles we followed a road leading to the River & missed some 
very rough road stopp d at 1 OClock & fed good grass all 
along saw one very lairge grej* Wolfe Musquetoes plenty 
Buffaloe dung same afternoon passed 2 Graves about one 
hour after noon the Valley began to widen, terrible high 
mountains on each side Barren towards the left of the road & 
a scenery of grass of all descriptions wild rye, Blue joint Buf- 
faloe grass, parts of it looks handsome & green being burnt 
early in Spring the unburnt seems about the same colour as 
the grass of 111. in October plenty Buffaloe here by the ap- 
pearance of the dung it is a vast place there are camp roads 
that lead to the River from the main road we took the 1st 
one & travelled about iy 2 hours and found plenty of water 
for our horses & two places we dug down to water & got 

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pretty good water for our use this is 1st water we got since 
3 Oclock grass out of all bounds camp' d 7 Oclock some 
Musquetoes nothing to be seen here but willow bushes crows 
& some birds very large lizards River very low this season 
some seasons they cant go this way at all on Ace 1 , of high 
water it overflows a great part of this Valley then they have 
to go the North side they say it is 30 miles round but if so 
they have plenty water Sulphur &c not so good for grass 
they say & part of the road very rough & Stoney this after- 
noon was about the best road I ever saw as level as plank 
sandy Clay soil good in dry weather bad in wet we had a 
pretty heavy thunder Shower this afternoon wind blowed 
hard to day dust not so bad as some days pretty warm 

Saturday 17 th . about 3 hours last night middling warm left 
at 7 Oclock passed one Grave called J. Blackley from III s 
1850 touched the river once since morning about 9 Oclock 
road a good ways from River turned down to a branch about 
2 miles from Road on the same direction good road rather 
dusty water rather muddy pretty warm Vo past 10 Oclock 
saw some sandhill cranes, very large lizards plenty Buffaloe 
dung saw here one drove had lay here shortly perhaps 12 
hours stopt 2 hours afternoon left 2 Oclock passed one 
grave 1 dead cow one Hare passed a large drove of Cattle 
had to turn off towards River this afternoon twice but not 
much out of the ways Roads turning off to Camp & water 
all along Camp d 6 Oclock close by the River wind blows 
pretty fresh Musquetoes does not bite it is something new to 
hear of it 

Sunday 18 th . terrible cold last night to wattch Horses, pretty 
miry in places got 3 mired had to help them out, one man 
lost 6 head of Cattle & 2 Horses every man must watch his 
stock or otherwise loose by it it was suppose [d] to be a root 
digger that had crawled on his hands & feet in amongst the 
Bushes or Willows bushes & stole these I have never seen 
none but they say they are very cunning we are about 150 
miles from the Sink of the Humbolt to day at 12 oclock, 
passed a good many log Chains touched a branch & watered 
about 10 Oclock Stopt at the River 12 Oclock some Buffalo 
by appe[ar]ance of dung middling good grass but pretty 

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Tumbull's Travels 

well cropt a good many teams ahead Musquetoes & Flies 
plenty 

[Monday 19 th .] Stopt until Monday morning rested close 
by the Marys River grass very good & a great many camp' d 
we washed & mended up all our clothes & Shirts passed one 
small Lake pretty water & two others before 9 Oclock some 
Ducks here & Snipe hares & Mountain Sheep plenty Buf- 
faloe by appearance of the dung good grass cut about 3 ton 
to Acre. "Wolfes plenty saw one Jackson from Chicago 
[who] went by Salt Lake & traded Horses for Cattle fed at 
the foot of a Hill on the edge of the Valley, stopt one hour 
left 10 Oclock then ascended a small hill but steep & Rocky 
the same for some ways all mixed with dust then touched 
the River about 11 Oclock then ascended some high moun- 
tains up a River the best road I mostly ever saw some high 
pitches ascending & descending but very short about twice 
the length of a waggon as good descending good grass a 
large bend close by Marys River some pieces of Snow lying 
on the mountains right before us fed here at y 2 past 12 
Oclock 300 head of Oxen passed us this forenoon while feed- 
ing loose & in Waggons not very hot to day pretty windy, 
Afternoon left two Oclock touched the River 3 times to water 
some places not very good grass other places excellent and a 
multitude of it between 2 & 5 Oclock road first rate but 
rather dusty afternoon travel all along side of the Valley 
North road came in sight of us at 12 Oclock on the other side 
of the River Saw 3 Waggons & one drove of Cattle when we 
camp i/o past 5 good grass & plenty Musquetoes about 20 
Rod from River the Peaks of the mountains looks handsome 
here all covered by green Sage 

Tuesday 20 th . pretty cold last night touched the River 
twice since the morning passed some very good grass a lit- 
tle part of the road rough if the Season is dry from where 
we started to day to keep near the River is smooth & good 
among the Sage the sand is deeper but not deep enough to 
make it bad stopt & fed at 12 Oclock, good grass & plenty 
of it but rather dry pretty middling warm but a good wind 
as we have had generally all the time since we left it after- 
noon left 2 oclock touched the River very good Road along 

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the bottom & plenty of grass then we had to leave the bot- 
tom & had to go up a sand Bluff pretty heavy sand about 
20 Rod and then along the top of the Bluff pretty heavy 
sand for about % mile, down the Bluff on to the bottom good 
road passed one dead Ox dust very bad camp' d on a large 
piece of good grass but getting very dry % past 5 Oclock 
some Sage hens seen to night some Hares pretty near white 
mountain sheep seems to be very plenty on Ace 1 , of seeing the 
tracks over the mountains very numerous a drove of 500 
head of cattle is just in sight of us, the same man has 1500 
head on the road a great many other droves for by [besides] 
these pretty cold night the North road on the other side of 
the River is right along side of us to night all our fire wood 
along the Humboldt is dry "Willow & Sage a great many sick 
& dying behind us we are some days to[o] late water looks 
very muddy cold Coffee is the best or Vinegar amongst the 
water but I have to take it without either 

Wednesday 21 st . left % P as t 5 morning good travelling for 
sometime left the bottom & took up a sand Bluff, pretty high 
& deep & so on for about one mile not so heavy stopt & fed 
about 9 Oclock good grass, passed one dead Horse 2 Oxen 
passed 530 head of Cattle for by [besides] Ox teams hauling 
provisions Pomroys Cop y 1580 head in separate droves a 
great many other large droves on the road for by [besides] 
him left after feeding one hour from 9 to 10 followed the 
Valley about 1 hour good road & plenty grass touched the 
River & then took up a sand Bluff about 100 yds high of deep 
sand after that sandy but not very deep met 4 men here 
about 300 miles or more on the Humboldt Valley putting up 
sign boards on the sides of the road looking for their wifes & 
families & Brothers from California — passed one grave 1 
dead Horse & 2 Cattle Brandy in water or Cold Tea or 
Coffee should be used along the Humboldt the water looks 
more dirty the nearer you get to the Sink stopt & nooned 12 
OClock grass middling good but not so wide on this side as 
it has been in the forenoon, pretty warm to day from 9 to 
12 Oclock afternoon left at 2 Oclock we have a cool breeze 
touched the River twice and watered followed the bottom 
for awhile then took up a Bluff sand pretty heavy for a lit- 

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Turnbull's Travels 

tie ways then down the Valley road good for some ways then 
took up Bluff again for a little ways middling bad sand then 
along the Valley good road & plenty of grass, this afternoon 
travelled between 2 & y 2 past 4 Oclock camp' d for all night 
for fear of [lacking] grass & water ahead good grass to 
night right by the river Humboldt, plenty of Willow bushes 
for fire wood nothing but a barren Sage Country on every 
side of us Musquetoes very plenty until about 9 oclock then 
cold enough to freeze you with 2 Blankets over you before 
morning 

Thursday 23 d . [22 d .] 39 left in the morning at 4 OClock 
left the River good grass this is the place to stop all night 
and took up the Bluffs & left the River a stretch of 20 miles 
without water, all Barren Sage & pretty heavy sand crossed 
a small desert without a bunch grass (all over with Alkali as 
White as Snow) there are some roads leading towards the 
River, in different places about half way & then far enough 
to the River to go there as to take you to the end of the 
twenty mile about 3 miles across the desert after you cross 
you will see roads turning to the left different places but keep 
straight ahead for the white Clay Banks, of the Humboldt 
River a pretty barren Spot where they all go to water 
plenty grass on the other side of the River but too miry & 
high banks to get Horses across especially when poor, we 
swam across & cut grass & towed it across with a long rope 
and had no water but a coffee pot full for 9 of us i went the 
twenty miles in 5^ Hours with out water but the best way 
is to cut one or two Bundles of grass, & water about 6 Gall s '. 
for 4 Horses part of it feed on the road & the rest of it when 
you get to the River & rest 3 hours and refresh your teams 
got here the 20 miles about y% past ten Oclock 

[Friday 23 d ] left at 4 A. M. stopt & rested until 2 Oclock 
some Packers on Horse back found a man afloat today before 
we come & his brains smashed clear in & had just buried 
this is a terrible place for such work on Ace*, of people takes 



38 Here Turnbull lost count of his calendar for some days. The jour- 
nal has been corrected by the American Almanac, 1852, the correct 
dates being placed in brackets. 

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[taking?] men through & using them worse than slaves & has 
to walk all the way I have seen plenty of it myself then it 
brings them to quarelling & one or the other shoots plenty of 
them I have seen shoved out in open Prarie amongst the wild 
Indians without one Biscuit to eat I would advise every man 
coming to C — a never to come in [a] company nor join 
no man nor be taken by him at no price for he will suffer 
worse than a slave on Ace 1 of little or nothing to eat & walk 
continually & if you want you can't get it without a great 
deal of trouble & perhaps the loss of lives if any man has got 
2 middling stubbed Horses from 8 to 12 years old & a mid- 
dling light waggon strong tires bolts every Fellow that has 
his own provisions at Home & 50 dollars in money can start 
to California if careful drove they can drive them to 
the Sink of the Humboldt in good order & then they have only 
about 300 miles to go afternoon left the River & turned 
of [f] to left of the river about 1 Hour clay road pretty good 
then came to the River but little grass & very Barren it 
looks awful with white Clay banks all along the River to day 
pretty deep dust until about % past 4 Oclock camp' d for all 
night a pretty hard days travel grass not so good & plenty 
as it has been left the road about 2 miles to the River the 
uppermost piece of grass in view nothing but barren Sage 
brush camp' d along side of some people from Iowa one 
night on the Piatt above us & [they] got 6 Cattle & 2 Horses 
stole by the Root Diggers they are never seen on the moun- 
tains nor in the Rivers they saw the tracks of a naked man 
in the morning that had crawled across the road down from 
the mountains, next morning they followed on pursuit of 
them & found them but lost one Horse, & got one of their men 
shot while fishing in the River among some Willow bushes af- 
ter they had got their oxen & taken them from them five ar- 
rows shot into one Ox when they found them & he died pretty 
hot from 10 to 2 oclock & dust together enough sometimes 
to suffocate us pretty cold at nights 

Friday 22 d . [Saturday 24 th ] plenty wolves howled all night 
very large grey fellows instead of coming straight ahead 
across the 3 mile desert from the River yesterday we took 
the left hand road coming up the Bluff just as you leave 

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Turnbull's Travels 

the River, take the left hand road as I said before & you will 
find a good creek of spring water running from the mountains 
about 10 miles from the River, & then you will save about one 
y 2 days travel & then strike the River about as soon & better 
place for grass grass is only to be found in some places here 
on ace* of the River being so crooked & the Clay bainks so ter- 
rible high in places, it is as much as you can do to lead your 
horses down the Bank alone it wants one to go ahead along 
here about 4 Oclock so as you can find a place before dark 
forenoon travelled among dust Clay & Sand mixed about an- 
kle deep & holes dug about as deep as the Ax every little 
ways turned of [f] down to the River to get water about 10 
oclock watered about 2 miles from the road stopt there un- 
til 1 Oclock middling good grass but very small bend on Ace 1 
of the River being so crooked & Banks so terrible high leaving 
the bends sometimes more grass on the North side than on 
the South & sometimes this reversed, afternoon very deep 
sand and Clay mixed pretty hot all day & dusty little or 
no wind a case we have not seen for some time stopt about 5 
oclock & turned off to the River about one mile & found the 
best bend of grass we had for some days met 6 men packed 
from California meeting their friends came to our Camp 2 
men also buying Horses & Cattle stock of all kinds poor 
rests them a few days & then drive them to the Sink a great 
place for grass until they get strong & then drive them on to 
California they are Camp d 1 mil[e] from us & has about 40 
Horses bought & feeding there it was very hot to day from 
10 A. M. until 6 at night enough to suffocate man & Horses 
the whites had a fight here to day with the root diggers these 
men were up in the mountains they saw some diggers & shot 
at them they fired they killed some one white man was 
shot different places by Arrows — hurt pretty bad we have 
not seen one yet they keep in the mountains on Acct of so 
many people being along the River, but they will kill a man 
if they get a chance at him amongst the mountains by him- 
self 

Saturday 24 th . [Sunday 25 tb .] left this morning & travelled 
through pretty heavy sand touching the River once & watered 
saw what they call the Sink medows ahead went on and 

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touched along side of it plenty of water this is where the 
River Humboldt spreads all over until it comes to the Sink 
where we touched it at 11 Oclock forenoon there is A little 
grass but all eat up & flag as high as your head & very mirey 
so that you can hardly walk on in places I cut a few arm 
fulls for the Horses they eat it well passed a good many 
Californians trading & meeting their wifes & families where I 
speak of cutting Flagg stopt their 2 Hours & rested our 
Horses a great many large long billed fowl here look hand- 
some dark green black birds Cranes & it has a green appear- 
ance in such a Barren Country an extensive Valley left 1 
OClock afternoon after you water where I watered at 11 
Oclock drive a little about y 2 an hour after watering when 
you come to the Alkali along side of the meadows laying as 
thick as salt sowed all over the ground come a little ahead 
of it & you will find a good well dug by a spade about 6 ft 
deep & grass enough all round for all the Stock on the road, 
stopt & fed about 1 Hour from watering beyond the dug well 
about 1 mile the best grass I mostly ever saw & for width I 
dont know passed one station Camp of Traders from 
C — a buying up poor Horses & Cattle some from 
all parts of the States from 4 to 10 years stopt at 5 oclock on 
a Salt meadow where they cut their grass salt laying all 
over the ground here, 20 Miles from here to the desert 100 s 
of people Horses Cattle & Mules here feeding people cutting 
& carrying out grass to make Hay for the desert 2 small Bun- 
dles for each Horse the ground is covered with tires & Irons 
of waggons burnt up as soon as left Bags, Close, Waggon cov- 
ers, Ox chains & every thing that a man wears only Boots and 
they are good for nothing all I have seen yet some Horses 
look poor some middling 4 Horses for 2 men & their provi- 
sions &c weigh about 500 hundred & a middling light waggon 
is enough of load from the beginning of the Humboldt to 
where I am now left after pretty hot to day, Musquetoes 
plenty & large black flies they are packing from here to go 
through the desert it is called the best way to cross the des- 
ert & that looks [like] commencing the desert one dead 
Horse here laying mired bones plenty all over some Trad- 
ers besides us one from plainfield named Eddy camp' d all 

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night hundreds of Cattle & Horses we had to tye our 
Horses to the Waggon on Acct of the being a little mirey we 
cut them grass the best salt grass I ever saw it is a branchy 
kind of grass from 4 inches to 14 inches high as thick as hair 
on a Dogs back 

Sunday 25 th . [Monday 26 th .] Musquetoes the worst I ever 
saw we never slept a wink all night stopt here all day & cut 
our Hay for the desert 2 small Bundles for each horse, this 
grass scouers our Horses we take in water for the desert go 
in through amongst the Segs [sedge?] & it is some cooler but 
not good & worse ahead from here 12 miles to the Sink & 8 
to the desert, the water worse all the way along & very hot 
weather our horses never began to fail much away until 
about 3 days ago on ace* of the grass & water scouring them 
there are plenty of them poor enough here now the traders 
buy all kinds & makes lots of money by them the next morn- 
ing to see the close, shot Bags, chains Wipple [whiffle] Teas 
waggons covers, Bags, Trunks, Boxes &c, left strewd all over 
Sunday night all burnt up for fires what is thrown away 
one day is burnt up the next Buffaloes come there in droves 
in spring & fall but not to be seen now on Acct of the Emigra- 
tion Musquetoes very bad to night cut grass & tied our 
Horses to the "Waggons all night for fear of getting mired or 
stole white traders are more apt to steal they say than root 
diggers they are very numerous but keep in the mountains 
& watch us coming along but if they catch you on the moun- 
tains they will kill you the whites does the same if they 
get their eyes on one they will shoot him & that makes them 
worse they are cunning they live on roots & acorns, lay 
up store for winter I saw two yesterday from California 
along with some traders to watch for them these Traders 
most of them are called Mountaineers, they live & marry 
amongst them & trade & steal from Emigrants & blaime the 
diggers, some of them are hard looking cases with their Re- 
volvers & knifes stuck by their side & very few of them 
shaves, 

Monday 26 th . [Tuesday, 27 th .] camp' d here all night Mus- 
quetoes very bad left at 4 oclock morning Loaded about 200 
weight of grass & some 8 Gallons of water for the Sink some 

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took 20 Do for 5 Horses 300 or 4 here in a waggon tc cross the 
Desert & get through quick from 20 to 25 miles pr day is 
enough for 2 Horses in pretty good order, left at 5 oelock 
this morning come along a Salt plain for some ways very 
good road after that some part of it middling heavy Sand 
some ways & then very good turned off to the right about 1 ± 
mile turned out our Horses to grass l/o P as ^ 9 oelock & gave 
them a little of the meadow water it does not taste bad nor 
salty but warm & shallow the best way is to bring India Rub- 
ber Bags to hold about 6 gallons each from where we took in 
water & grass & then you can give your Horses a little of this 
water & save what you carry until you get to the Sink give 
yaler [yellow?] Horses some of this Sulphur water & some of 
Avhat you are carrying this is water enough for 6 or 8 
Horses & Coffee for your own use cold plenty Apples & Bis- 
cuit a gentle breeze of wind this forenoon middling' warm 
mountains along here on each side of this vast plain not very 
high but very high in other places from where we fed at 1 -j 
past 9 came in sight of the Humboldt Lake about here about 
as good grass as when we fed & that not very great but just 
at the bend of the Lake, close by the mountains where the 
road leaves the Valley & goes along side of the mountains on 
the left & the Lake on the right close by stopt & fed at this 
bend 12 Oelock it is better to noon a little before you come 
here on Ace* of the grass being to[o] Salt & the weather 
pretty hot & so close to the mountains it makes your stock 
drink to[o] much left old Mullians Horse at this bend he 
has not been put in harness for pretty near 1000 miles back 
& seemed not to do any good but followed along until the 
weather got pretty hot & came to travel amongst the deep 
sand & dust he was offered $12 for him from a trader on 
the 24 th . & would not take it but I should have taken it 2 weeks 
ago he could not live without oats he was good as long as 
he lasted or had grain he drove him into the Lake Hum- 
boldt at noon 26 th . & pushed him over so we left him lying 
but his head still above water about the middle of this bend 
of the Lake about H way from where we nooned stands a lone 
tree doubled bodied we came down within 2 miles of the 
Sink & camp' d all night tolerable grass here & the same about 

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Turnbull's Travels 

^2 way along from noon but some eat right opposite the 
second Island of Kanebreaks tremendous mountains high all 
along the Lake this Afternoon. Afternoon some part of the 
road pretty stoney & rough every one mostly waters their 
animals out of the Lake it wants plenty of Acid to put in 
the water all through their journey, pretty cool to night 
some Deer flies to day & plenty large black ones no Musque- 
toes much to night plenty fish in this Lake very large 
white Cranes &e I came across a Canoe on the Beach made of 
rushes or rather flags very neat made, but no Indians to be 
seen 18 miles to day 2 miles from the Sulphur Spring we 
rest here until 2 OClock tomorrow afternoon & then by trav- 
elling a little before we come to the Sulphur Spring our 
Horses will be more apt to drink good before taking the 
Desert North & South road comes together at the end of the 
Sink. 

left Tuesday [Wednesday?] forenoon about 10 clock on 
Ace 1 of the Salt grass scouring & Lake water to[o] Salt to quench 
their thirst moved along about 3 miles over 2 sand Bluffs 
from the Bottom of the Lake or Sink passed one trading 
post buying & selling Californians Stopt & fed our Horses 
here right on the edge of a Sulphur Sleugh here on dry hay 
that we carried for until 2 Oclock & then start for the desert- 
here are lots of Traders from all parts selling Brandy $1.50 
pr pint Flour from 25 to 35 pr lb £ but [about] here are State 
officers sent on from California with Flour & every thing a 
family or single man wants to give them for nothing to carry 
them to carson Valley & then from the Valley to be supplied 
& sent through they seem to be fine men & think nothing of 
money, every man wants liquor of his own with him along 
here to put in water I spoke to one California miner & he 
told me every one paid $3 pr Year for this left this station 
at 2 Oclock P. M. grass about 6 miles from this Station & 
the same kind of water we had at the Station about 1 mile 
from the road we did not stop but went ahead & many oth- 
ers an excellent road for some ways then a little stone then 
very smooth for some ways stopt & fed about 1C miles & 
made some Tea 8 Oclock P. M. fed one hour and then went 
on bright moon light some places [the grass?] a little but 

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short & the rest very good came to a fellow by the name of 
J. Rose that used to live at Liberty Ville once partner with 
M c Duffy on the OPlain waiting for 3 of his Brothers coming 
through he is selling water here & has 4 Teams hauling wa- 
ter night & day & Grass from Carson Valley & buys up tired 
stock feeds them grass & water for 2 or 3 days & then sends 
them off to the River at night when cool y 2 way on the desert 
he is Stationed water 6 s pr gallon he gave me all I could 
drink & the rest of us for nothing he knew Job Galloway & 
the Steels 40 when at Home he keeps the Railroad House 27 
miles this side of Hangtown their is a water & liquor sta- 
tion every 2 & 4 miles between him & the end of the desert 
or Carson River only 7 miles at the last of it without any 
one stationed without you meet the teams on the road & they 
will sell you from the 20 miles on if you want a good deal 
from 75 50 cts to 25 the lowest & 2 Bits pr drink or all kinds 
of Liquors it is better for a man to buy than to load down 
his Horses carry only enough to serve himself & stocks the 
first 20 Miles at the last of it 12 Miles of heavy sand & the 
greater part of it no track about as heavy as that at trad- 
ers no track on acct of loose Cattle being drove along 
[which] fill it up met Robert about IS miles from the River 
with 2 Mules & 1 Ponie or I know we should have to leave one 
waggon we had to lead Tom clear through on Ace', of being 
scoured with the Salt water & grass 

Wednesday 27 th . [Thursday, 28 th ] we got to the River 41 
1 hour after Sunrise & had a very cool night to Carson city 
huts all made by bushes and Canvass fellows from California 
Bakers' Butchers Saloons traders of all kinds for the season 
Robert has been here buying & selling Horses Waggons &c for 
3 months so he said 5 or 6 of them make them a Wigwam & 



"Job Galloway was a farmer from Deerfield, Illinois; the Steel 
brothers, William, James, and Matthew, were farmers from Lake For- 
est, and are reputed to have brought back a "small fortune" from Cali- 
fornia. — A. J. T. 

41 From the sink of the Carson River, most of the places on the trail 
may be identified on the Topog. Map of the U. S., in the following quad- 
rangles: Carson Sink, Wabuska, Carson, Markleeville (California), 
Pyramid Peak, and Sacramento. 

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Turnbull's Travels 

live like Indians 100 s of them follow the same buy poor 
stock cut grass &c feed them after they get a good many 
in the fall drive them off to C — a we then drove up 
the River to where he had his Camp among some large Cotton 
"Wood & Willow bushes about 14 miles from the end of the 
desert the desert is a continual string of dead Horses 
& Cattle likewise on the Lake shore from 10 to 13 lying in a 
bunch strung along from the very beginning to the end of it 
up the Valley & all & a way of [f] in the desert for 20 Rod 
where they have hunted for water & fell right dead, wag- 
gons & Irons and Kegs, close Ox chains Bags, Buggy Irons 
strewed as thick as the Cattle some this season but mostly 
all in 1850 saw 2 graves to day Valley covered at every 
bend of the River [with] Irons of "Waggons Cattle & all along 

Thursday [Friday 30 th .] camp' d here all day 4 miles up 
the River buyers & Traders &c all along I never felt better 
on the road than I felt in crossing the Desert until the last 
4 miles & pretty near walked all the way until the last 4 
miles I felt a little tired & sleepy my feet felt good & Boots 
easy the new ones I had 3 glasses of Brandy that just kept 
me alive & killed the water I drink got some strong Tea Ap- 
ples & Biscuits & then lay down amongst the bushes & took 
a sleep but some suffered crossing & will suffer 1000 s behind 
us, there will be enough of dead Cattle & Horses one month 
or less from now a man told me before we met Robert that 
Lacey & Fuller 42 &e landed in Hangtown 8 days ago very 
hot this forenoon if we had not got in as soon as we did we 
would have suffered with heat no shelter from the burning 
Sun & Hot sand enough to burn Your Boots in the middle of 
the day we had a few drops of rain to day some Indians 
here Crows camp' d at 8 OClock stopt & rested our Horses 
grass short in places but we put them on an island over the 
C [arson] River good long grass as good as oats to a Horse 

[Saturday, 31 st .] left Saturday morning 8 OClock pretty 
cool but very hot while Ave stayed our teams felt well but 
poor but not much worse than you have seen their a com- 
pany crossed the Desert Friday that we used to travel with 



4 -Lacy was a sailor whose parents lived at Winnetka, Illinois; Fuller 
was a farmer from Wheeling, Illinois. — A. J. T. 

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from Chicago Names Vader, Mahon, his father lives by John 
Careys, Tho s . Othod John Do, T. Clarke &c There is a gov- 
ernment Camp here for the relief of them thats in need, if 
no money or sick a Doctor to attend them paid by the Miners, 
travelled about 4 miles on the Flatt of the River good road 
and grass carried water & fed here for one hour then took 
a 16 mile desert, pretty rough & stoney in places some small 
pitches turned to the left over a Stoney hill to the River & 
found grass 3 ft high blue joint & good shade trees to keep us 
from the sun passed a large body of Salt like a lake to the 
right hand saw two graves of this bend one from Missourie 
this is 22 miles today stopt about 4 Oclock passed some 
"Waggons burnt up on the road Rifle barrels in every direc- 
tion on the road & in these bends & close of all kinds 

[Sunday, August 1 st .] stopt all day Sunday wolves here 
in every direction at night Buffaloe dung in every direction 
on these bends Cotton woods here from 4 to 6 ft through 

Monday 1 st . [2 ud .] left 5 Oclock & went along side of the 
River stopt until about 3 Oclock & rested good grass & 
good road middling warm to day. left 3 Oclock & crossed 
a Barren Sandy road called a desert 10 miles to the River 
again plenty good grass blue joint 3 ft high & good shade 
trees for you to camp under this country around here looks 
something like a country for mining passed 2 dead Cattle 
some Musquetoes last night some knats, "Wolves plenty 

Tuesday 3 d . rested all day until about 4 Oclock a grand 
place to recruit Horses &c the best bottoms & largest valleys 
of grass that I have seen since we left the Piatt travelled to 
day about 6 miles enough to make the Horses eat good 
Camp' d about 6 Oclock fine cool day 

"Wednesday 4 th . people Packing afoot & selling out all they 
have to the traders pretty cool last night on ace 1 of being 
near the mountains the white & red clover here is lying in a 
mass here dead ripe in small patches along this River is the 
place to fatten stock quick good feed & water some Buf- 
faloes come here at times plenty "Wolves, Crows, Ducks, & 
Hares, very large & long ears pretty cool this morning stopt 
all day very cool to day some little rain about 6 oclock 

Thursday 5 th . middling cold last night some men come 

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Turnbull's Travels 

here last night that has run a road through to Sonora a nearer 
& better route for grass & not so mountainous but deception 
in people here can not be fathomed stopt all day some men 
come here from Sonora California & reckoned they had run a 
road over the mountains some 80 miles nearer to Sacramento 
it came right out where we are camp' d but Robert said the 
old road over the Sierrnavado [Sierra Nevada] was bad 
enough but he was afraid that would be worse, it beats all 
to see the "Waggons & close even property of all kinds thrown 
on the ground & left to any one that wishes to pick them up 
some sells their Horses some there Cattle leaves "Wagons close 
of every description guns &c lying takes what they have got 
on their back & puts for the Mountains some packs their 
Horses & some takes their Waggons instead of that they 
could rest a few days about 35 Miles from Rag Town up the 
River where you could put 1000 head on grass & would not 
be seen Clover about 3 ft long blue joint by resting their 
teams a few days they could cross the Mountains if they have 
got provisions & take their property along their is no grass 
within 80 miles of Hangtown by taken [taking] in stock in 
good order they would then be fit for Market you can sell 
Cattle here to Robert & all the miners mostly out here buy- 
ing Cattle Horses & Waggons, from $50 to 100 pr yoke Horses 
they would sooner trade Mules for Waggons 

[Friday] 6 th . lay still 

Saturday 7 th . lay still 

Sunday 8 th . Do [ditto] pretty cold night here we can see 
some snow on the mountains a head part of the Sierra Ne- 
vada Blue joint grass here will cut 4 Ton to the acre, or 
more one man died here & was buried this morning thrown 
into a hole with his closes & some old Buffaloe skins & cov- 
ered up this is the last of three but one & 5 Horses this is 
the way a mans property goes they say amongst the large 
Ox teams behind us they have died in great numbers & are 
dying more & more every day the last will be apt to suffer 
we bought of Robert Flour $10 pr Hundred from the E 3 but 
these Traders wants $25 & 30 also side Bacon from Emigrants 
2 Bits pr lb. they cooked some meals for men travelling on 
Foot & Packing 75 cts . pr meal at the Station they charge 

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$1,00 bread Pork & Coffee Apple Sauce take it right of [f] 
the ground any person or family stopping here to refresh 
their teams could make by meals a pocket full of money in 
quick time Small Apple Plate Pies $1 pr piece very cold 
here at night middling warm through the day but always a 
good breeze of wind all kinds of liquor here 25 cts pr drink 
people selling boots shoes & shirts coats & indeed every thing 
for nothing & more thrown on the ground that [than] sold no 
man would try to haul nor carry them over the mountains & 
plenty of Horses some 6 to a waggon & in good grass order as 
we commonly see them in III s . the time of Harvest scores 
of people leaving their waggons selling their Cattle & 
footing it through Dwyres Boys passed us here yesterday 
Connallen is sick of a fever the rest all well & fat & left this 
beautiful bend of grass Monday morning at 6 oclock 

[Monday] 9 th of August this bend is right at the ford of 
the River new route or S-W route across the Sierra Nevada 
called nearer & better but we dont know but we will 
soon here of it we followed all along the River grass not 
so plenty, nor not so large places or bends but enough hand- 
some mountains of round stone & Rocks & has the appearance 
as if being burnt by fire handsome large shade Cotton wood 
trees all along stopt & turned out 11 oclock and fed mid- 
dling good road some rough in places followed the River all 
along this afternoon travelled to day about 16 miles or 18 
miles the most of grass is on the other side of the River it 
appeared to look at the mountains ahead of us & so high on 
each side of us that we were at the end of all pass but still 
the road goes ahead along the bottoms of the River once & 
a while we have to turn of [f] over some short high Bluffs to 
day terrible dusty sort of black & "White sand ground up by 
the "Waggon wheels fine enough to blind you we suffered to 
day without wind ahead all day came to the junction of an- 
other road that leaves the River some ways back & comes in 
to the River here again for 26 miles a good many miles 
nearer but no water nor grass they say — to carry water & 
grass from the River this Carson River all proceeds from 
the snow melting from the Sierra Nevada mountains. 

Tuesday 10 th . camp' d last night 6 Oclock under a large Cot- 

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Turnbull's Travels 

ton "Wood about 6 ft through & a very large top enough to 
shade or cover 4 Waggons — took our Horses & oxen across 
the River & found excellent grass for miles in length a 
trader stationed here has a great number of Horses & Cattle 
running here that they have bought of traders all along here 
pretty cold last night left this morning 6 Oclk passed one 
mining establishment on the bank of the River they have 
done a good deal of Ditching & Dyking here also made a 
claim of 160 Acres on the Valley for the purposes of buying 
lame & poor stock for fatting & selling or trading they have 
some hired cutting hay some ditching some Dyking a little 
way from this about 2 Miles their is another Station or place 
where they are digging they have got plenty of young birds 
& chickens & hens here we stopt & fed one large log house 
made of Cotton wood they keep liquor & things for sale one 
more log House down near the River another made of shakes 
& some tents they hire men Cutting Hay & have got a Rail- 
road from the mountains made of Waggon tires a good place 
to keep stock & cut Hay — they have a creek close by where 
they are mining so as they can wash fall & Spring for some 
time they intend to make a Village here 'from that we as- 
cended a pretty high coble stone hill for about y 2 mile along 
from the top of this hill to the right stands another log House 
in a gulley where some are mining pretty rough road this af- 
ternoon all cobble ston passed one dead Horse one Ox 
crossed 10 miles desert passed up a small Bluff of solid 
slacked lime as sharp as new Slacked clot it seems to be the 
same all over this desert the mountains along today are all 
covered with Pine & Cedars, after leaving the desert struck 
the River here was a Station called the Hosier Ranger on 
the Sign pole selling liquor &c a little farther ahead another 
all made of Canvas counter all covered with Canvas &c of all 
kinds for sale Turnips &c raised over on the Valley at a mor- 
mon Station ahead of us some ways another a few Rod about 
one mile from this Camp' (1 along side of the River on a Val- 
ley of grass over 2 miles wide not very hot to day 

Wednesday 11 th . pretty cool last night very cold before 
sunrise we camp' d opposite a road leading over the Sierra 
Nevada called Yankie Jims route very few went it it is 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

hard to say what kind of a road it is left this morning at 
6 Oclock & left the River crossed a barren Sandy road for 
6 miles then came to a creek running across the road from the 
mountains as cold as Ice here is another traders Station here 
all along this valley is an immense width the lofty Sierra Ne- 
vada on the right Hand covered with lofty pines mountains 
running almost perpendicular & their tops spotted with Snow 
to look ahead you would think their is no outlet nooned 
close by a Mormon Station 43 one large log house 2 or 3 
tents a garden part fenced in some turnips & garden stuff 
growing they have stalks [stacks] of Hay cut almost 40 ft 
long & are still cutting they buy poor stock sells goods &c 
turnip 10 cts . per lb. left at 1 Oclock Afternoon this is a val- 
ley of grass out of all bounds passed a large patch of wild 
tares about y 2 grown, passed some very good log houses some 
3 or 4 one has a good garden all kinds of vegetables & 
some corn Barley & oats passed some very handsome Springs 
boiling out of the ground & some running from the foot of the 
mountains next came to what they call the Mormon Station 
or Tavern B — Shop it stands on a handsome bend along 
side of the lofty Sierra covered by lofty Pines & Pines near 
his door 4 ft. through Blacksmith Shop here & fresh beef 
for Sale &c also passed some boiling hot springs close at the 
foot of the mountains also a pretty large farm here barley 
ripe, oats, Potatoes in blossom Melons &c. seme pieces of 
Stony road this afternoon, & some very smooth handsome as 
any carriage road black flint stone that rolls from the Moun- 



*» The present town of Genoa, Nevada, is on the site of a Mormon 
Station that was first established in the upper Carson Valley during 
1849 by H. S. Beatie. Robert Lyon declared in 1880 that it was al- 
ready well known when he stopped there in July, 1850. In 1851 John 
Reese brought a train of wagons, with food, from Great Salt Lake and 
reestablished the trading place. Its log cabin may have been the first 
in Nevada. The prospectors who were already investigating the Car- 
son River region organized a squatter government here in November, 
1851, while in 1852 the first land claim was filed by Reese. Utah or- 
ganized the region as Carson County in 1854. Myron Angel (ed.), 
Hist, of Nevada tcith Illustrations and Biographical Sketches (Oak- 
land, Cal., 1881), pp. 30, 31; Bancroft, Utah, p. 591; Bancroft, Nevada, 
Colorado, and Wyoming, pp. 66, 69. 

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tains all mashed up small by the "Waggon wheels, John- 
stones cut off 4 * turns right up a gulley over the top of these 
lofty Sierras crowded by lofty pines to the Northern mines, 
a pack road a little track like a foot path camp ?d 6 Oclock 
at the foot of the lofty Sierra by a spring brook & our stock 
in grass to the eyes pretty cold here to night. 

Thursday 12 th . stock scattered all over this Valley by 
traders & emigrants left camp 6 oclock forenoon passed 
some very handsome rivulets of Springing water running 
from the mountains passed a good many trader stations 
nooned beside a Station log House roofed with pieces of Can- 
vas, about 20 Rod from the mountains afternoon, travelled 
about 13 miles to the mouth of the Cannon [canyon] the cross- 
ing off this Sierra Nevada the road this afternoon is some 
ways from the Valley through barren sand & sage bush about 
2 miles from the Valley & River some middling rough places 
on Ace 1 , of large rocks you have to drive very slow about 
1 mile from the Kanyan you ascend a short [hill] but steep & 
Rocky to the left before you come to the Kanyan it is a hand- 
some sight to look at the Valley to the left covered by over 
grown pines & handsome Valley of grass here & there over 
among these mountains before entering the Kanyan we camp' d 
right at the entrance of the Kanyan 45 a romantic scene to see 
the lofty mountains of rock on each side it is just like en- 
tering the mouth of a cave & the sounding of the trees and the 



** Johnson's Cut-off left the Carson Valley two miles above the Mormon 
Station, and was one of the routes to Placerville. Fremont entered the 
Sacramento Valley in 1844 through this pass, or near to it. H. H. Ban- 
croft, Hist, of California (San Francisco, 1886-90), iv, p. 438; "Report 
of Committee on Internal Improvements," App. to Cal. Assem. Journal, 
1855. 

46 The road which Turnbull followed continued up the Carson River, 
through the Canyon and Hope Valley, and crossed the Sierra by West 
Carson Pass. It was recommended to the California Assembly in 1855 
as perhaps the best route for a road from the Great Salt Lake, although 
every pass had its advocates and its maligners. In 1849 many of the 
later emigrants were caught here by failing teams and lack of provi- 
sions, and were relieved by the efforts of General P. Smith, command- 
ing in California. Letters on the relief, here and at the other passes, 
are in 31 Cong., 1 sess., Sen. Docs., p. 52, llOff. 

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rushing of the river over the high rocks makes a continual 
noise and constant cold wind waving the lofty pines up in 
the air above our heads we stopt all night on a valley of good 
grass at the mouth of the Canyon the Rocks standing perpen- 
dicular up in the Sky above our heads. 

Thursday 12 th . [Friday 13 th .] very cold last night traders 
camp' d all along buying up stock from the Sink & above it 300 
miles from California regular thoroughfare coming & going left 
the mouth 7 Oclock & got through it about 12 after we left about 
one mile their is a bridge across the River Carson in the middle of 
the Kanyan built by a man from California & two others ahead he 
charged $1 for the 3 for one span Horses & Waggon & one 
Bit for each drove horse or Ox this is the 3 d bridge before 
you come to it a little & after you cross it surpasses all i ever 
saw for large rock hardly wide enough for a Waggon & roeks 
tons weight to scramble over half the height of a waggon no 
track for the wheels or horses, but just to roll up & down the 
best way they can a man can stop in the Valley & fatten 
his team he need not attempt to try it then they are good 
horses if they take through an empty Waggon it wants 2 
Span to take 3 hundred [weight] & then the Waggon is in 
danger Waggons broke & smashed all along we passed 
some handsome little flats of grass in the Kanyan, come to 
a large handsome Valley at the head of the Kanyan 8 miles 
from the mouth this is 5 hours & over coming 8 miles 
nooned at the end of 8 miles a large beautiful Valley good 
feed after you leave the Kanyan the road crosses the River 
their is a good place to feed your animals the Carson River 
at present here is not more than from 1 to 2 ft deep & from 
1 to 2 Rod wide these bridges are made here on Ace 1 , of these 
large rocks or it would be dangerous for the animals to go 
through the River over amongst these rocks on ace 1 , of Slip- 
ping & killing themselves we have it very cool & shady this 
forenoon moving up the Kanyan pretty warm in the valley 
& the mountains covered by large heaps of Snow right above 
us Afternoon from this crossing of the River after leaving the 
Kanyan you will find some handsome plains of grass right & 
left & some very handsome openings of Scattered pines & the 
lofty tops of the Rocky Sierra Mountains with their lofty tops 

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Turnbull's Travels 

spotted with Snow on each side of us the road this afternoon 
was very handsome small gravel some few small rocks 
Camp' d all night about 6 miles from the crossing of the Car- 
son Kiver above the Kanyan found good grass, & the River 
close by pretty cold to night after sun down 

Friday 13 th . [Saturday 14 th .] i washed a handkerchief this 
morning after sunrise a little & it froze stiff an hour after 
that hot enough to wear linen trowsers left morning 6 Oclock 
& commenced ascending the lofty Sierra mountains at the up- 
per part of the Valley above mentioned in midst of the lofty 
pines & cedars, ascending gradual for a while amongst Rocks 
& small gravel spurred [stirred] up by the feet of the animals 
& "Waggons shortly after ascending for some time came to a 
handsome Lake & pretty large some grass has been cut here 
to feed animals on ace 1 , of it being miry from that we had 
some middling good road & some terrible Sidling for some 
ways, then crossed a small run of water — by Springs gushing 
out of the mountains caused perhaps by the Snow on the top 
then we commenced what I call ascending terrible to look up 
to ever conceive how a team could ever Scramble up straight 
up crooked & all shapes amongst the lofty pines & Rocks from 
2 to 6 ft through clefts of Rocks hardly the width of a 
waggon & solid rock in the centre of the trails in places that 
a horse or ox can hardly Straddle over over some places 
narrow enough to roll through with the hubs on the top of 
the rock other places again one wheel going over a Rock 3 
or ft 4 high & the other grinding in a crivis [crevice] below 
some places turn to the left one step the next step turn to 
the right one time cracking she goes another time grind & 
another time hop & another time bounce she goes it is aw- 
ful to see it the Kanyan is bad but I think its nothing to this 
at last surmounted the top of the first mountain it was a 
happy sight the appea[ra]nce at the top looks like as if 
part of the mountains had sunk one half of it resembles a 
flat but still rocky in places some little up hill & down & 
difficult places amongst rocks to get through & some pieces 
of road very good small gravel passed some small Lakes & 
ponds after leaving the top & lofty covered Sierra to the left 
appearing close by us almost covered by Snow & right where 

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we are now grass flowers of all kind & bushes of all kinds 
mostly in full bloom two weeks ago hardly any grass, the 
next we came to was a middling ascent some rough & Rocky 
to a large handsome lake streams of Springs gushing into it 
on all sides from the lofty Snow mountains Traders buying 
& selling everything a person wants to eat all over these moun- 
tains so far apart a handsome valley of grass all around this 
Lake & plenty of grass all around & also another large Valley 
to the right of it over a hill about 40 Rod from it enough to 
feed 100 s of animals their is a constant travel from 40 to 50 
Mules & Ponies packing from California to the Valley & Salt 
Lake also carrying liquors Coffee Sugar Groceries of all kinds 
all around this Lake grass is just in its bloom & the mountains 
close by us to the left covered nearly with Snow we have 
travelled to day & worked ourselves & teams hard from 6 
oclock until 12 where we are now by the Lake 10 Miles to 
day one team of pack Mules about 40 came here last night 
going to the Sink for the relief of them that wants it [and] 
has got no money a general along & his wife from California 
riding on Mules & carrying their blankets camp right on the 
ground as happy as in a feather bed & more so than any in 
the States dress they think nothing of money plenty I 
feel as well lying out now as I did in the States lying in a 
bed nothing to fret you good health & fine cool nights 

Saturday 14 th . [Sunday loth.] slept under large wreaths of 
snow la»st [night] watching our Horses at the foot of the Lofty 
Sierra nearly by Snow to the left left camp at S oclock 
late on Ace 1 , of our Horses & Cattle having a hard day yes- 
terday left this morning at 6 Oclock & made a start for the 
2 d , mountain from the beginning for some [distance] crooked & 
twisted through [and] amongst large heavy pines & cedars 
not very bad considering what we had yesterday next began 
to roll down hill for some ways a kind of an opening pretty 
good grass in places then began to ascend a little by little 
more & more until we came right below a long wreath of deep 
Snow where the water from the snow & Springs in every di- 
rection runs to into the same track where we ascend this is 
all rolling middling sized stone the water running through it 
makes the stone Slippery & bad for teams & a pretty long as- 

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Tumbulls Travels 

cent about y? mile right up to the Snow & amongst these we 
turned to the left on the face of the mountain for a consider- 
able long ways amongst huge big rock & some Snow to the 
Hubs of our waggons this snow in places is from 12 to 18 ft 
deep in places & the weeds & flowers & grass in full bloom 
close by below it after this we ascend a place pretty near 
straight up but not so rocky, then come to a flat for a piece 
then ascend a small piece but rough in places to the top called 
6 Miles in 5 hours then after that pretty rough as bad in 
places ascending & [as in] descending their is a beautiful 
Lake to the right on the top of this mountain & another in 
descending to the right some openings along some little 
grass & weeds all in full bloom that is all the animals get 
Mules does well on it nooned at 3 Oclock about 10 Miles from 
where we started from in the morning this is the last moun- 
tain or main ridge of Sierra Nevada 4 ' 1 rested our teams about 
2 hours on a middling good patch of grass to the left of the 
road went from where we fed about 4 miles on a pretty 
rough rocky road a little descending over mountains some 
pretty little valleys of grass & Aveeds & some good pine & Ce- 
dar stopt in a small Valley in the middle of the mountains 
called Union Valley all night grass very short some few 
Musquetoes 

Sunday 15 th . [Monday 16 th .] left in the morning at 6 oclock 
& went about 17 miles before we stopt to feed our teams the 
road to day was very rough & Rocky in places over the moun- 



48 There were four regions in the wall of the Sierra through which 
most of the direct emigrants to California passed. Before any of these 
were discovered the land access was either from the Columbia Valley, 
by way of the Willamette, or else from the Colorado Valley, by way of 
the extreme southern passes, (a) The Walker Pass, some fifty miles 
south of Owens Lake, and equally distant, northeast from Tehachapi 
Pass, through which the railroads now enter the central valley of Cali- 
fornia, was discovered by Joseph R. Walker in 1834, but was used only 
occasionally by emigrant parties. Bancroft, California, iii, p. 391; 
iv, p. 264. (b) There were several possible passages north of Walker 
Pass, leading to the Merced or the Stanislaus, but the next important 
region to the north was that of the Carson River, from which West Car- 
son Pass and Johnson's Cut-off guided many emigrants to Placerville. 
(c) Further north was the Truckee route, which followed the river 

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tains ascending & descending some steep places but deep 
gravel & sand mixed along in places saw some beautiful 
Springs & valleys & water springing out of the rocks these 
openings & Valleys look beautiful covered with flowers of 
every description in full bloom & wild Beans about as large 
as the small white bean every thing in its full bloom & the 
mountains above them spotted with Snow passed some 3 or 
4 Stations of Californians in morning two men on foot from 
Waukegan took breakfast with us this morning they came 
with a man by the name of Brown his Horses got poor & he 
had to stop in the Valley for 2 wks. to let them recruit it 
wants Horses strong to come from the Kanyan to Hangstown 
more so than any other part of the route & one empty Wag- 
gon is common two Horses [per] Waggon is enough for any 
one Span passed tragedy spring where 3 men were killed by 
some Indians there are 3 graves covered with large stones 
& also a Station selling liquors & groceries these men were 
3 men that carried the mail to Salt Lake it happened last 
winter 1851 camp' d about 2 oclock at an opening or valley 
called leek Springs their are a great many Springs all round 
here for about 20 Rod one at the bottom of the hill the best 
& coldest I ever drank off these springs make a pretty large 
creek a little below in the Valley very good grass but to the 
right hand of these springs about one mile through heavy 
pine timber there is good grass from 1 ft & upwards passed 
through some excellent timber to day pine, White Spruce 



of this name from the Nevada Desert into the Sierra, and descended 
tributaries of the Yuba and Bear rivers to Sutter's ranch on the Ameri- 
can. This pass was discovered in 1844, and became the route of the 
Central Pacific Railroad. T. H. Hittell, Hist, of California (San Fran- 
cisco, 1885-97), ii, p. 332; O. Johnson and W. H. Winter, Route Across 
the Rocky Mountains, with a Description of Oregon and California 
(Lafayette, Ind., 1846), p. 103. (d) The Feather River Valley, a 
northern tributary of the Sacramento, was the objective of persons 
who entered California by the northern passes. To reach this valley 
the mountains were crossed near Goose Lake or south of it. It was 
sometimes called Lassen's route because of a ranch owned by one 
Lassen near its end in California. Maj. D. H. Rucker was distribut- 
ing aid to emigrants on this route in 1849. 31 Cong., 1 sess., Sen. Docs. y 
p. 52, 143ff. 

[2181 



Turnbull's Travels 

from I should Judge 100 to 150 ft high from 4 to 6 ft through 
stopt here all Sunday afternoon & night on Acet of grass be- 
ing some scarce since we left the head of the Kanyan, & scarce 
ahead [of] this place or rather openings to see the animals 
go down to it [phrase obscure] round the huge rocks & deep 
guts between the mountains mostly all wild rye & 
grass & flowers in full bloom Gooseberries very large here 
but prickly not ripe yet wild beans plenty & Grisly Bear 
very troublesome 2 years ago amongst stock but the Emigra- 
tion keeps both them & the Indians back from the road 

Monday 16 th . [Tuesday 17 th .] left here at 10 Oclock a 
place where is a Station called Leek Springs on Ace 1 of so 
many leeks growing below the Springs on the opening or 
valley one road to the left New cut out to Hangtown called 
some nearer the old road goes Straight ahead up the moun- 
tain this is bad enough & I am afraid the other is worse we 
have ascended & descended mountains all this forenoon some 
pretty steep pitches over large pine roots & large loose rock 
laying pretty near as thick as they could lay & intermixed 
with loose sand & gravel dug up by the dragging of the wheels 
met one 4 Horse team going to the mountains for Ice from 
Hangtown perhaps 60 Miles from Hangtown passed through 
some tremendous large pine timber this forenoon stopt after 
about 3 hours travel & drove our animals over the face of a 
mountain down into an opening to feed 

Tuesday 17 th . [Wednesday 18 th .] passed some 4 Trader Sta- 
tions passed camp Creek next Cold Springs another 
Trader from Michigan the next the Traders Station called 
the Mountain House or Forks of the road we took the left 
hand down the Valley passed Sly Park Tavern a handsome 
park all fenced 8 & 10 rails high he charges 25 cts . pr night 
for each head of Cattle or horse, we eamp' d below the Park 
good grass as the Park opposite another house or claim built 
with lumber the same as the Park here their is a Saw mill — 
over the hills to the left about 1 miles their is some of the 
handsomest timber here I ever saw rail cuts I counted 8 & 
10 from one tree, the same of Saw logs from pine' white & 
Yellow, some oak here but scrubby, our road to [here] was 
very rough & rocky, large loose stones intermixed with dust & 

15 [219] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

very hot dust & deep it was so at times that we could hardly 
see the teams, before we came to Sly Park the road is good 
& smooth only dusty 

Wernesday 18 th . [Thursday 19 th .] pretty cold last night 
left this morning 10 Oclock, passed a good many miners cab- 
ins & places where they are digging, passed a good many Tav- 
erns, & stores, turu to the left from the Hangtowu road 
passed some wrench [ranch] or large pieces fenced in on the 
Valley camp' d in Squaw Hollow close by a mans House from 
Indiana has a garden we got some good Melons here for 
nothing as they only sell in Hangtowu for a bit mostly all 
oak mixed with some pine 5 miles from here to Diamond 
Springs and you can go from where we are in Squaw Hollow 
to Hangtown 4T 5 m . good grass along here to the left of this 
House, but it is getting dry, pea Vine wild oats on the moun- 
tains here 

Thursday 19 th . [Friday 20 th .] left after resting myself six 
days 



went to seek my fortune but found every Creek & Kanyon, 
covered with men & Hundreds going round looking for work 
I thought the country somewhat different to what they rep- 
resented it to be 

I hired with a man to blast rock on the south fork Canal 
[of] American River for $100 per month he broke up in 
three weeks after I went then I went prospecting over the 



"Hangtown, or Placerville, was still in 1865 "the first considerable 
town in California" on the overland route. S. Bowles, Across the 
Continent (Springfield, Mass., 1868), p. 166. As "Dry Diggings" it had 
originated in the boom year of 1848. A vigilance committee gave it 
the name Hangtown, while the California legislature named it Placer- 
ville in 1850. It is situated on the Hangtown Creek, a branch of Weber 
Creek, which is a southern tributary of the South Fork of the American. 
Turnbull had crossed several branches of the Cosumne River between 
the pass of the Sierra and Squaw Hollow. The daily journal ends at 
this point, and the later pages were written after an interval. Ban- 
croft, California, vi, pp. 75, 467; vii, p. 540; J. D. Borthwich, Three 
Years in California (Edinburgh, 1857), pp. 105, 113; Thissell, Crossing 
the Plains in '49, p. 173. 

[220] 



Tumbull's Travels 

mountains for 2 "Weeks me & a Scotch man carried our blan- 
kets on our back some necessaries to eat & lay down wherever 
night over took us, & carried our dirt in a bag sometimes 
one mile to find a pool of water to wash it, and then could 
not get over from 3 to 5 cts . to pan full then what could we 
do until rain come, only leave it, 

so then I left & pushed down to Sacramento, intending to 
go to Benecia, but I hired on a Wrench, or farm as they call 
them in the Spanish language, at $65 pr month I was only 
there about 4 weeks until I took sick very sickly in the Val- 
ley, fever & Ague all over on Ace*, of the marshes & the coun- 
try overflowing in the rainy season 

then I came into Town & lay sick not able to help myself 
for 6 weeks at $16* pr Week for board for by [besides] medi- 
cine that took all I had mostly, 

next I went to drive Horses for Miller up in the mountains 
with goods to Store keepers, until I got some strength, 

next I went up in the mountains to mine the 1 st . heavy 
rain we had it rained about one month the most of the time 
straight down I stood it all the time for about one month, & 
then left 

came down to Sacramento, to go to Benecia, to try to find 
Denton, but unfortunately I took fever & hard one it was I 

was expected to die every day, but brought me 

through in about six weeks so as I was able to get out of bed 
& make my escape to another House for a while where I was 
taken good care off & then 

I left & went to Newcastle Secret Diggings & began to pro- 
spect made a claim & went to mining, mined in Newcastle 
for some time but could not make any thing on Acc fc . of pay- 
ing $1 pr inch for water less than 4 inches I could not do 
any thing and the ground so hard and deep almost from 12 
to 20 ft nothing paid but about iy 2 ft at the bottom on the 
top of the rock, 

their was a new place struck about 6 miles from there It 
was called great so my partners got dissatisfied and would 
sell so to buy them out I did not know which would be best 
so we all sold out & put for the new diggings but they were 
not near as good as was represented, but still some were 

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Wisconsin Historical Society 

making a good strike once & awhile as is the case all over 
the Mines some are bound to strike & some has a poor chance 
if ever it is all chance work like all other mining places es- 
pecially in the late days it is not as it was in 49 & 50 before 
the country was dug up. I got a start made at these new 
diggings & could not make very much on Ace*, of water be- 
ing scarce until fall, 

but it happened before fall we disagreed & I sold out & left 
for mere nothing and worst of all I was robbed of my belt & 
a good many Specimens that I intended to send home for to 
make finger rings & Ear-rings to what amount I wont say but 
I expect enough to cover what I wrote I would send you home 
this blasted my expectations 

so then I had to push my fortune once more, and then the 
worst time of the year hot as the Indies & no water without 
carrying the dirt some distance, I prospected near Dotys 
Flatts, about 2 miles from where the Simpsons live and struck 
a middling good place but some, how it was [so] very 
troublesome to work when water did come & no fall that I 
did not do as well as I expected & further their was not 
enough of it, & also the country is all tore up round here & 
also on Ace 1 , of it being winter I am as well as many others 
obliged to stay until the winter & rainy season are over if 
[we] can but make board some has enough to do to make it 
so I remain here until Spring and then I intend to go to the 
mountains but what part I dont know, 

this [journal] ends at the time of M c Glorys leaving for 
[the] Ufnited] States. 

[On fly-leaf] 

It will be hard for you to make this book out right Acct of 
some mistakes & I had no time to look them over and also I 
referred back to page in places where by close examination 
you might find it out take good care of it until I come back 
friend but be sure dont lend it to dirty or muss it up until I 
write it of [f] once more I could get $50 for it in Sacramento. 
Y r . Ty 

Spanish Ravine 

[222] 



Turnbull's Travels 

Later Reflections Upon California 

March 29 th 185i3, 48 
Brother, 

(This is the fourth letter that I have wrote you from Cali- 
fornia, and never received no answer. I have been sick twice 
& it cost me all I could make and some in debt, I have just 
now recovered from having an intermitting fever, I took sick 
in the most cursed hole I ever was in, in all my life I was 
almost eat alive by lice, and so weak that I could not turn 
over in bed, a good many has died that I was acquainted 
with & strangers also, this is a terrible country for a man to 
be sick in, the people in these boarding houses would not of- 
fer you a drink of water or victuals if you do not crawl over 
the bed & take what is going, it was the same the first time 
I took sick in Millers, they are a cursed set, they charged 
me $16 pr week, for each & every day of the week did not get 
the offer nor could not eat one Cup of tea in two days, this 
about 5 month I have been sick in all and further it takes 
some time to get strength so as you are able to go to work 
again, — if it had not been for a Scotchman, that kept Store, 
on the Mines up the Sacramento river, that took a great lik- 
ing for me on ace*, of doing some writing for him he is rich 
his people lives in Canada & has been for 18 years, came right 
to the boarding house & took me out of it & made me up a 
bunk in his Store, & paid a man to shoot quail & Rabbits, for 
me to make soup at that time i could not hear almost any 
thing I stopt with him for some time, until I Avas able to walk 
around, then he wanted me to go down to the Bay, at San- 
iraneisco, where he has got a Farm, & stop there until I got 
some strength to go to work & he would not charge me any 
thing. R. Miller was in company with this fellow that kept 
this boarding house & they had a store also, the old fellow 
has got a few acres of land near Sacramento, if it was paid 
for, if it had not been for this Scotchman it would have 
been the last of me I believe, after he had not took me away 



** The only letter written by Thomas Turnbull and now preserved by 
his family is this, which was written from Newcastle Secret Diggings. 

[223] 



Wisconsin Historical Society 

more than 3 days, then Miller came up & presented a Bill for 
4 wks board & attendance to offer a drink of water or a cup of 
tea once in 3 days $59.75 & I laying not able to hear nor 
speak the Scotchman got so mad that he kicked him out of 
the Store & damned him that his house was not fit for a Hog, 
to lay in for lice & blackguards & told him he would pay it 
out of his own pocket if I had been used like a human being, 
they were talking all round among the Boarders, that I would 
certainly die & if I did where would they get their pay, at 
the same time I had over $60 in my pocket, I could crawl out 
of doors at night to do a job for myself, & hardly able to get 
in again being so weak when I was at the worst I hid my 
money in the ground it sometimes puzzled me to find it on 
ace*, of my head being so giddy, to buy medicine that I 
wanted I had to hide it for fear of the Miners boarding or 
Miller taking it out of my pocket, as they all do in this Coun- 
try before a mans breath is out, paid if it had not been for 
sickness I would have sent you $100 twice over, but this is a 
hard Country for a man to get work in when first coming in 
& especially when he has no money & gets sick, some are 
never subject to sickness much & others are all the time & 
also a great many have died this season after coming over the 
Plains from the States 100 ' s payed their passage & turned 
right home again did not find the country as they expected, 
it is not the same as when the Steele' 8 came here all the Ra- 
vines, & Kanyans, & Bars, on all the Rivers, are mostly all 
worked out & taken up without a man had got money to buy 
a Claim he has got no chance in some places, he has got to be 
here one year almost now before he can find out the rascality 
of miners holding claims all over, after you get acquainted 
you can find claims everywhere but not the tenth part as good 
as when Steeles were here only in some places, I have left 
this Scotchman & gone up to the Mines to a place called New- 
castle or Secret Diggings, I prospected round some 3 days 
not very strong boarding with, Phelix Sutherland. I struck 
a prospect from 10 cts to 50 cts to the pan I went & Staked out 
400 ft Square, next day took in 3 partners & put them right 
on to work green horns from England bought all the tools & 
started then the next I was able to go to work with them 

[ 224 ] 



Turnbull's Travels 

we did not do much for 3 wks about board & tools, Slice boxes, 
Yorn, & Riffle Boxes Picks, & Shovels, & Hoes for the water 
to run in to wash the dirt in the Yom, and we have to buy- 
water also companies have cut ditches from Creeks & Rivers 
to bring water all over the dry diggings, and they charge 
from $6 to $4 for one Tom head that is for water enough to 
wash your dirt for one day, some are working hard & cant 
hardly pay board it is all a lottery some will strike a good! 
place & make their pile right away others the reverse, the 
tools I bought cost me over $80.00, the 4 of us now are mak- 
ing from $6 to $8 pr day, for 3 days before I wrote this let- 
ter, & I expect we shall do better I found one place $1 to the 
pan if we make any large strike you shall soon know & have 
some of it, I am getting pretty well now thanks be to you, 
hoping to find you all the same, Spence & Simpsons are over 
about 4 Miles from me mining the "Widow Dewyers daugh- 
ter & boy M c Gloy, Cob. M c Vay, &c Cunningham & Squire 

M c Guire from Chicago about 4 mile from me mining I heard 
Cochran was very near deaf & pretty well broke down Sul- 
livan & the rest are separated all over, if you see the old 
man M c Cormick tell him Roger is working with Simpsons & 
says he will send him some money as soon as possible, he has 
been sick for some time he has never seen nor heard of his 
brother, since he came, none of them has so much money as 
the people talk about that I have mentioned the[y] go on to 
a claim & does a good deal of work on it & it costs something 
$15 [000] or $20 [000] you may depend I will tell you in the 
next letter all about coming, I could not send my journal on 
ace 1 of it being done with pencil I have not had time to take 
it off but I will have time before long, 

I remain Your aff fc Brother 
Thomas Turnbull 
Direct Newcastle 

Secret Diggings 

Placer County 

Care of Phelix Sutherland 



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